Good Policy Framework, crucial to leveraging Education Technology in Nigeria-Experts

Stakeholders in the education space have been called upon to create the much-needed policy framework that can trigger the fast adoption of technology in our educational system in Nigeria.

This was the takeout at the November edition of Edtech Mondays, an initiative of the Co-Creation Hub (CCHUB) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation’s Centre for Innovative Teaching & Learning in ICT. The engagement session, themed “The Role of Policy in Advancing Edtech in Nigeria”, was moderated by Chinyelu Akpa, Practice Lead, Education, CcHUB.

In his remarks, the founder of Universal Basic Education Digital Museum, Idris Oladipupo, while highlighting the challenges confronting the Nigerian education sector, said there is a need for a holistic policy change on educational technology in Nigeria. He stated that stakeholders must begin to champion a comprehensive policy that addresses the challenges in educational technology delivery.

He noted that with the high number of out-of-school children (7.2 million in primary schools alone), poor learning outcomes (47 million children unable to read), and a shortage of qualified teachers (20-16 learners per teacher), emphasis should be focused on leveraging technology to improve access and quality.

One of the panelists, Product and Operations Lead, eLimu, Bridget Iyere, highlighted the challenges of providing curriculum-aligned content for Nigerian children, emphasizing the need to create educationally engaging games. Iyere stated that beyond providing educational infrastructure and devices for kids, introducing technology to education should be seen as complementary.

She explained that the role of government was crucial not only in the adoption of edtech but also in the area of funding

She also stressed that the unification of curriculum across public and private schools has become imperative to ensure consistency in learning outcomes.

On his part, a digital expert, Dami advised the government to create an enabling environment that would help advance education through technology.

While acknowledging that huge consumption of technology has been responsible for the failure rates in qualifying examinations among students, he called for educators and parents to ensure a balanced use of technology especially in the context of culture.

According to him, with the right infrastructure, which includes the provision of regular power supply, data, broadband, and devices, as well as the implementation of the right methodology, resources, and content, the quality of education will improve and result in meaningful development for the country.