A senior cleric and management expert, Pastor Leye Ige, has urged educators to abandon outdated teaching methods and embrace innovation to equip students with the skills needed to thrive in the rapidly evolving 21st-century world.
Speaking through his representative, Engr. Dr Patricks Oghuma, at the Annual Speech and Prize-Giving Day of Excellent Way Academy in Trademore Estate, Abuja, Pastor Ige said education must move beyond rote learning to foster creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and adaptability.
The event, themed “Celebrating Excellence, Shaping the Future,” brought together school management, teachers, parents, students and distinguished guests to celebrate academic excellence, character development and resilience.
Pastor Ige, an estate developer, Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) and Senior Pastor of Living Faith Church, Trademore Estate, warned that graduates would struggle to meet future demands if schools continued to rely on obsolete teaching approaches.
“The future demands not only knowledge but the ability to apply it in dynamic and constantly changing environments,” he said.
He argued that teachers must be equipped with modern learning tools, continuous professional development and innovative teaching strategies capable of matching the pace of technological and societal change.
Describing the current education gap as unsustainable, he said, “Teaching 21st-century students with 20th-century teachers using 19th-century methods is no longer acceptable.”
He noted that today’s learners are growing up in a world driven by artificial intelligence, instant access to information and global connectivity, while many classrooms remain rooted in chalkboards, memorisation and rigid instruction.
Pastor Ige also encouraged students to view excellence as a lifelong commitment rather than a single achievement.
Quoting the Greek philosopher Aristotle, he said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
Drawing lessons from the biblical story of Daniel, he added that genuine excellence begins with character long before it receives public recognition.
He cautioned that intelligence without integrity could become dangerous, while success without character remained fragile.
The cleric urged students to pursue lifelong learning, cultivate compassion by uplifting others and place character above certificates, stressing that while education sharpens the mind, character determines how knowledge is used.
He also commended parents for instilling strong values at home and praised teachers for shaping lives beyond the classroom.
Congratulating students who received awards, Pastor Ige urged them to remain humble, while encouraging those who were not recognised to persevere, saying dedication and resilience would eventually be rewarded.
Excellent Way Academy, located on Ibadan Street in Trademore Mega City along the Airport Road in Lugbe, Abuja, hosted the annual ceremony. The institution is also notable as the birthplace of Winners Chapel Trademore, established in 2022.
Engr. Dr Oghuma, who delivered the keynote address on behalf of Pastor Ige, also serves as a pastoral assistant at Living Faith Church, Trademore Estate.
