UNICEF advocates AI integration in education system

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged policymakers and educators to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the country’s education system to enhance learning experience for students.

While AI offers great potential for improving educational results, the agency noted that it should be utilised in a way that safeguards and promotes human agency.

In commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Education, themed: ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation,’ UNICEF emphasised that by adopting ethical practices, empowering teachers, encouraging critical thinking, and ensuring equitable access, it is possible to develop an educational environment where technology and human values co-exist, thus preparing learners for a future in an automated world.

UNICEF Desk Officer for Education in Cross River State, Benjamin Ukom, said over 300 information management officers have been trained in the state’s 18 local government areas as part of the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) programme.

He noted that while the programme has seen a significant number of enrolments, inadequate funding has hindered monitoring and evaluation efforts to gather feedback on its effectiveness.

Nonetheless, he disclosed that the registration numbers have risen considerably since 2023.

“NLP is an online e-learning platform designed to provide quality education to Nigerian students, especially those in remote areas with limited internet access. It features a flexible learning management system that can function both online and offline, offering interactive courses and content in various local languages such as English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba.

“It caters to early childhood, primary, secondary, and vocational education, and was developed in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education and UNICEF,” Ukom explained.