Ekiti First Lady, UNICEF drum support for digital learning

Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Olayemi Oyebanji has stated that the state government is ready to commit adequate resources to ensure that digital education is embraced by students and other relevant stakeholders.

Dr. Oyebanji disclosed this in Ado Ekiti at the launch of a digital solution designed to improve Learning in schools tagged “The Nigeria Learning Passport”

The Nigeria Learning Passport, NLP is a country-level site available to make the curriculum and learning materials available to students with internet connectivity both at schools and at home.

She said part of government’s commitment is human capital development and expansion of learners’ scope and enviable environment for the system to thrive.

The Governor’s wife pointed out that the State is taking lead in digital skill acquisition across basic and technical schools while teachers from 100 public secondary schools in the state were being exposed to digital literacy training to lay a foundation for digital skill acquisition and remote learning platforms under the AGILE project.

Dr Oyebanji therefore appreciated Federal Ministry of Education and other partners, including UNICEF, Global Partnership for Education, and Airtel Nigeria towards ensuring access to qualitative education through internet for all Nigerians, regardless of age, gender and geographical location.

She said, “The system of education nowadays demands more than the conventional approach, and thus, the system needs to be complemented with digital approach to enhance learning”

The first lady therefore challenged relevant stakeholders to design the implementation strategies to ensure that the Nigeria Learning Passport is popular and well embraced by the learners and other end-users, including parents.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to Governor on Education, Dr Adebimpe Aderiye said the advantages are enormous as it would particularly improve learning among primary and secondary school students.

In her good will message, the Secretary to the state Government, Dr Habibat Adubiaro said it was another step towards attaining human capital development as it would have positive impact if implemented.

To this end, the Chief Education Coordinator, UNICEF Nigeria, Dr Saadhna Panday-Soobrayan who observed that Ekiti is the thirteenth state in Nigeria to embrace the programme said the organization wanted digital approach to be integral part of how teachers teach in classroom free online through partnership with mobile internet provider.

Ekiti state SUBEB chairman, Professor Femi Akinwumi noted that it was another milestone in facilitating effective learning and expose younger generation to digital economy.

The event attracted, permanent Secretaries, top government functionaries, primary and secondary school students, among other stakeholders.