FG partners State, others to provide affordable learning devices for students

The federal government has announced that it is working with state governments and some development partners to improve the country’s education system by making it more digitally accessible as part of its response to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector.

Senior Special Assistant on Education Interventions to President Muhammadu Buhari, Obafela Bank-Olemoh, who gave the hint while speaking at MTN Nigeria’s The Revv Programme masterclass on ‘Education without Borders and Boundaries’ added that going forward, one of the key areas that Nigerians are going to see a lot of funding from both the federal and state governments towards the education sector, is in the area of devices.

The Revv Programme is an initiative from MTN Nigeria to help small businesses rethink and relearn their operations to enable them mitigate against the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic using a four-pronged approach that includes masterclasses, access to market, productivity tools support and advisory initiatives.

“How do we get cheap and affordable devices into the hands of school students? It’s a key thing that we are working on.”

It will be recalled that Nigeria’s education sector has been one of the most affected by the pandemic and since the government instituted lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus, schools across the country have remained closed.

However, the federal and state governments plan to have the resumption of schools happen soon; but no date has been fixed.

According to Bank-Olemoh, the pandemic has meant that the state and federal governments, along with development partners, rethink Nigeria’s education system.

“The reality has changed how we do education whether at the state or federal level.

“Whether we like it or not, we have to provide devices for our children; this is because if something like this happens the second time, we can’t make the excuse of not planning for it.”

Bank-Olemoh disclosed that the plan wasn’t just to put devices in the hands of students, but to see how that can be done locally.

“Beyond that, it is also an area that we say how do we do it locally? This is because what we have now is just pumping funds outside the country.

“However, going forward, that’s one major area that we’re going to see a lot of intervention from both the federal government, states as well as development partners.”

Education experts from the public and private sectors that appeared at the event include Chief Executive Officer, Ulesson Education, Sim Shagaya; Founder/ED, Slum2School Africa Orondaam Otto;

Education Director, Mind Builders School Bolajoko Falore; Country Manager, Nexford University Olamidun Majekodunmi, and General Manager, Transformation Office, MTN Nigeria, Babalola Oyeleye.