-Calls for sustained training of teachers, support for affected learners
By Golok Nanmwa
JOS -The wife of the Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund, ITF, Mrs Modupe Afiz Ogun, has decried inadequate awareness of learning disabilities in the country, saying many children are wrongly labelled lazy, rude or poorly raised because their conditions are not physically visible.
She made the observation on Monday while declaring open a three-day 2026 Teachers’ Professional Development Training for staff of the ITF Model School, Jos, organised by the Modupe Afiz Ogun Foundation.
The training focuses on equipping teachers with the knowledge and practical skills required to identify and support learners with specific learning disabilities and other learning challenges.
Mrs Ogun called for early identification, sustained intervention and continuous professional training for teachers, stressing that every child has the capacity to learn but may require different approaches and support.
She said, “Everybody can learn, that is a fact, but everybody does not learn the same way. If everybody does not think and reason the same way, then we must understand how best to support every child.”
She noted that awareness of learning disabilities remained inadequate because many of the conditions were not immediately visible, making it easy for children experiencing them to be misunderstood.
“There is not enough awareness, and one of the reasons is that these conditions are not visible”.
“You do not see them like a broken hand, a limping leg or other physical impairments that people easily recognise.”
“Because these conditions are not obvious, it is easy for people to conclude that a child is lazy, unwilling to cooperate, rude or poorly raised. But that is often not the case,” she said.
Mrs Ogun stressed that awareness alone was not enough, urging schools to sustain teacher training and ensure that interventions were continuously reinforced.
She also called for greater empowerment of parents, teachers and the wider society to understand learning disabilities and provide appropriate support to affected children, adding that such support should not end at the primary and secondary school levels but continue into tertiary institutions and workplaces.
The ITF Director-General, Dr Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Director of Administration and Human Resources, Mr Ojo Akindele, said the training was in line with the Fund’s mandate of developing human capacity.
He said the initiative extended that mandate to the ITF Model School by equipping teachers with specialised knowledge and practical strategies to better understand and respond to learning difficulties.
According to him, conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia can affect learners’ educational outcomes if they are not properly identified and addressed.
“Bright and capable students can sometimes face unrecognised challenges. When these processing differences go unnoticed, our children struggle needlessly.
“As educators in a modern school, we stand on the frontline of early detection and intervention. We hold the key to ensuring that no child is left behind,” he said.
The training features sessions on screening tools, neurodiverse classrooms, multi-sensory teaching, targeted interventions, Individualised Education Plans, IEPs, and inclusive teaching strategies.
Ogun urged the participants to actively engage in the sessions and ensure that the knowledge acquired was translated into practical interventions in their classrooms.
He commended the Modupe Afiz Ogun Foundation for partnering with the ITF to strengthen the capacity of teachers and improve learning outcomes.
One of the facilitators, Mr Iniobong Sam, described the training as apt and timely, noting the growing need for greater awareness and specialised support for children experiencing learning difficulties.
Sam said one in every five children globally lives with some form of learning disability, stressing that the figure underscored the urgent need for early identification, intervention and specialised support for affected learners.
He stressed the importance of early identification and intervention, saying teachers were strategically positioned to observe learning patterns and initiate appropriate support.
The Head Teacher of the ITF Model School, Mrs Josephine Oluwole, expressed appreciation to the ITF Director-General and his wife for making the programme possible.
She said the training had been planned for some time but was not initially captured in the school’s budget until the intervention of the Director-General.
“We were informed that this programme was not captured in the original budget, but because of the passion of the Director-General for the children and members of staff, he made a way for this programme to become a reality. We are indeed grateful for his kindness and support,” she said.
Oluwole described Mrs Modupe Afiz Ogun as a woman with a “golden heart,” adding that the training would help teachers better understand learning disabilities and avoid mistaking them for laziness, stubbornness or other forms of misconduct.