Mikpoyibo, Ifoghere, 19 Others Bag NAPPS Delta Awards

Twenty-one members of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Delta State Chapter, have received awards in recognition of their contributions and service to the association and private education.

The awards were presented during the association’s gala night held recently as part of activities marking the 2026 NAPPS Day celebration in Delta State.

Those honoured include Bishop F. C. O. Mikpoyibo, Amb. (Dcn.) M. O. Ifoghere, Comrade Dcns. Young P. N., Pastor Young I. C., Teacher P. Ovoh and Amb. (Dr.) Mrs. R. Obi.

Others are Mrs. Comfort Agbahoube, Pastor Mrs. Dorcas Oguntoyinbo, Mrs. Dorcas Akpoguma, Evangelist Lucky Oduye, Mr. Peter Akpoviano (JP), Mr. Mbulu Patrick, Prince Godwin Ibe Ozoma and Pastor Obah Okechukwu Andrew.

The award recipients also include Ezinne Justina Ashiedu Esedebe, Mrs. Gloria Idedia Odigie, Chief Mrs. Agbatutu A. Onisuru, Rev. Dr. (Mrs.) Claudia Chike-Mbamalu, Mrs. Ayomor Victoria Omosefe Gbenoba, Enwemeka Onyekumah Monday and Mrs. Maidoh Theresa Anene.

Earlier, Dr. Nwani Onyeabor delivered the keynote address during the groundbreaking ceremony for the association’s proposed secretariat complex and multipurpose auditorium at Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.

The address, titled “Building a High-Performing Team Culture in Schools through Collaboration and Technology Integration,” identified poor teacher collaboration and outdated teaching approaches as challenges affecting learning outcomes.

Dr. Onyeabor called on school proprietors, administrators and teachers to move beyond individualistic teaching practices and embrace teamwork, shared responsibility and collective accountability.

He recommended joint lesson planning, knowledge sharing and the establishment of Professional Learning Communities through which teachers could identify learning difficulties, develop interventions and assess their effectiveness.

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On technology integration, the keynote speaker advised school proprietors to adopt digital tools based on specific educational needs rather than prestige, stressing that technology should improve teaching, strengthen collaboration, reduce teachers’ workload and enhance students’ academic performance.

He also emphasised the responsibility of school leadership to establish clear goals, provide adequate resources and training, promote accountability and create an environment where teachers could freely exchange ideas, acknowledge mistakes and learn from one another.

In her address, the National President of NAPPS Nigeria, Dr. Samira Jibir, FNAE, said sustainable excellence in schools could not be achieved through individual efforts alone but required teamwork, trust, shared purpose and effective systems.

Jibir said the 2026 NAPPS Day theme underscored the importance of building school cultures that promote collaboration, accountability, innovation and continuous learning.

According to her, every school has a culture, whether deliberately created or allowed to develop, adding that successful institutions must consciously establish values and systems that enable every member of the school community to contribute meaningfully.

She identified collaboration as central to building high-performing school teams, noting that teachers, administrators, school leaders, parents and students must work together as partners in the educational process.

The NAPPS national president stressed that trust was essential to effective collaboration, urging school leaders to communicate clearly, listen to their teams, act fairly and honour their commitments.

She also called for environments where teachers and students could ask questions, raise concerns, share ideas and acknowledge mistakes without fear of humiliation, while ensuring that accountability remained linked to learning and improvement.

On technology, Jibir said digital tools could improve teaching, communication, school management and decision-making but cautioned that technology alone could not transform education.

She said educators must be equipped with the necessary skills to use digital tools effectively while preserving the human connection at the heart of learning.

Jibir further urged school proprietors to invest in professional development through formal training, mentoring, coaching and practical learning opportunities.

She noted that students needed to develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, problem-solving and digital literacy skills to succeed in a changing world.

Describing private schools as important contributors to Nigeria’s human capital development, she said the culture established in schools today would influence the kind of nation built in the future.

The national president challenged school leaders to assess whether their teams trusted one another, whether staff could contribute ideas freely, whether teachers were being developed and whether technology was genuinely improving learning.

She urged proprietors to build schools founded on trust, collaboration, accountability, innovation and continuous learning, stressing that education should equip children not only to pass examinations but also to learn, lead, create and transform society.

The NAPPS Day celebration also highlighted the importance of unity among private school proprietors, stronger institutional structures and sustained collaboration with education stakeholders in advancing private education in Delta State.

Traditional rulers and other stakeholders were among those who demonstrated support for the association’s activities, underscoring the importance of partnerships between schools and their host communities.

The groundbreaking ceremony marked a significant step in the chapter’s efforts to develop a permanent secretariat complex and multipurpose auditorium to support its administrative and institutional activities.

The celebration reaffirmed NAPPS Delta’s commitment to promoting members’ welfare, strengthening unity among proprietors and contributing to the development of quality education in the state.