Ekiti Trains 57 Educators, Therapists in Landmark Inclusive Montessori Program

THE Ekiti State Government, through the Office of Special Education and Social Inclusion, has successfully concluded an intensive seven-day residential capacity-building program. The initiative focused on training 57 state therapists, inclusive school staff, teachers from the State Universal Primary Education Board (SUBEB), and educators from special schools on specialized Montessori methodologies.

Hosted at the Government Special School in Ido Ekiti, the training ran from Sunday, August 9, to Saturday, August 15, 2026. The program serves as a cornerstone of the state’s broader Inclusive School Project, reinforcing the administration’s mandate to ensure equitable educational access under the guiding principle that no child is left behind.

Highlighting the historic nature of the initiative, the Special Adviser on Special Education and Social Inclusion, Princess Adetoun Agboola, noted that Governor Biodun Oyebanji remains the first Governor in Nigeria to establish a dedicated office for special education and social inclusion.

“Children with disabilities sometimes learn differently and require the use of their various senses to understand lessons effectively,” Princess Agboola stated. She emphasized that Ekiti is the pioneer state in Nigeria to introduce specially adapted classrooms equipped with tailored learning materials to meet unique developmental and educational needs.

The state currently operates specialized public institutions, including schools for the blind and deaf in Ikoro Ekiti, alongside facilities catering to children with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Under the current initiative, Montessori educational tools have been systematically adapted for multisensory learning within special schools, while being utilized as originally designed within mainstream inclusive learning environments. The curriculum directly targets children aged 3 to 8, both with and without disabilities, offering targeted support for students facing developmental challenges in fundamental reading and mathematics.

Facilitator Mrs. Rosemary Aliu elaborated on the depth of the curriculum, explaining that the Montessori approach comprehensively covers sensorial education, language development, mathematics, and cultural subjects.

According to Mrs. Aliu, the methodology is strategically structured to streamline reading and writing acquisition, rendering the literacy process significantly more seamless than conventional teaching frameworks. Furthermore, participating educators expressed enthusiasm over discovering how everyday materials can be creatively repurposed to enhance special needs instruction.