First Digital Classroom Launched in Ibadan 

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, has inaugurated the first digital classroom facilitated by a tech company in Nigeria for the purpose of equipping citizens, especially youths, with adequate technological skills in conformity with evolving global trends.

The tech company, FOUND Africa, was Olajide Aboderin’s initiative. It was embraced and given royal acceptance by the Olubadan, who his children, Prince Olasumbo and Folaseke Owolabi, represented at the inauguration.

With the new project, the monarch expressed his delight that Ibadan has lived up to its slogan of being the pacesetter, being the first to house the first skyscraper, the first University Teaching Hospital, the first television station, the first university, among several other monuments.

Oba Olakulehin said, “As we all aware that we are in the digital age, so, bringing this project of digital classroom to Ibadan for the use of students, for young men and women, will make them more accessible to use of Internet for knowledge of what it is all about.

“Someone once said the illiterates of tomorrow will be those who are not computer literate. So, one needs to have good knowledge of computer. So, digital classroom in Ibadan is very welcomed because this project will develop Ibadan the more particularly digitally.”

The Managing Director of FOUND Africa, Olajide Aboderin, while explaining the initiative’s target, said everybody must be taught the digital aspect of technology, especially students and artisans, to create jobs and eradicate unemployment.

He emphasised that the world is advancing every day and that artificial intelligence is the new technological component that makes online activities colourful and must be taught to all for adequate sufficiency and reliability.

Aboderin added that the goal is to establish digital classrooms and give it wider reach, saying that Ibadan was chosen as the centre point because the city is known for its distinct language and smooth traditional lineage, which has never caused disagreement, hence, the theme and the paramount ruler’s attendance.

He said, “We believe that Oyo State, Ibadan, where we are starting our mission is known to have distinct language and they even call it the ancient city of Ibadan. Now, I got the opportunity to inform Olubadan’s Palace and explained the reason behind this initiative and they accepted it immediately.

“So, we said to ourselves, is there a better voice to help change the narrative of Ibadan and Oyo state than to have the Olubadan himself coming to unveil this project, which has a 50-year roadmap for inclusion among Meta, which is Facebook, Google, Amazon?”

The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Digital Technology, Adebayo Akande, said digital skills were one of the biggest currencies an individual can have today, lauding the initiators of the project for their proactiveness.