As Western countries reconsider classroom technology amid concerns about attention and cognition, Nigeria is bent on ambitious digital reforms that seem to pay little heed to the inherent drawbacks, IYABO LAWAL reports.

In school districts across the United States, Europe and Australia, a quiet counter-revolution is underway. After an estimated $30 billion investment in laptops and tablets for students over two decades, American educators are confronting uncomfortable data: the most screen-saturated generation in history is also the first to show declining cognitive performance compared to their predecessors.

Neuroscientist Jared Horvath’s recent testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation delivered a stark warning. Gen Z has scored lower on standardised tests than the previous generation, a first in modern record-keeping. More concerning, Horvath identified an inverse relationship between school screen time and academic performance.
“This is not a debate about rejecting technology. It is a question of aligning educational tools with how human learning actually works,” he told lawmakers.

The implications for Nigeria, a nation accelerating toward comprehensive tech adoption in education, could be more profound. The great classroom technology experiment began with lofty ambitions. In 2002, Maine became the first U.S. state to put Apple laptops in the hands of every middle schooler, a model soon replicated nationwide.

By 2024, cumulative U.S. investment had surpassed an estimated $30 billion. Yet, the promised academic revolution never materialised.

Today, the pendulum is swinging decisively back toward paper. New York City, the largest school district in the United States, implemented a “bell-to-bell” restriction on personal internet-enabled devices beginning September 4, 2025. Students may still bring phones to school, but they must be stored in lockers or special pouches and cannot be used during school hours. Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David Banks cited deteriorating students’ mental health as the primary driver.

“Mobile phones act as a catalyst, amplifying all the problems on campus,” Banks observed, noting that bullying escalates when amplified through social media.”

The data support their concerns. A Pew Research Centre survey found that 72 per cent of high school teachers consider student phone distraction a major classroom problem. In France, concerns over screen exposure continue to drive policy discussions, while Australia is developing regulatory frameworks for social media access.

Even the textbook is making a comeback. The Roseville Joint Union High School District in California is currently conducting public consultations for new textbook adoptions, inviting parents to review physical instructional materials before purchase.

In Utah, lawmakers have introduced bills requiring ed-tech tools to prove their efficacy before deployment in classrooms, alongside measures to limit screen time in early elementary years.

Richard Culatta, the Chief Executive Officer of ISTE+ASCD, a leading educational technology professional organisation, acknowledged the industry’s failures.

The “big problem”, he has stated, is that schools “have not been doing a good job of sharing “the why” for using education technology. His conclusion is blunt: if schools cannot articulate a compelling reason for adopting a particular platform, “technology should not be used”.

Amid this global debate, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education is pursuing an aggressive digital-first strategy. The contrast in approach highlights the main argument: Nigeria’s path could echo challenges that have prompted others to reverse course.

In October 2025, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, launched the Digitalisation of Public Schools Initiative, announcing the distribution of interactive smart boards to schools, beginning with events at Queens College, Lagos. “Education must evolve with the world of work and innovation. Hence, we are embedding AI, EdTech, Robotics, coding and digital literacy across school curricula,” Alausa stated.

The federal government has mandated that both the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) adopt computer-based testing by 2026, a move officials say will enhance efficiency, reduce examination malpractice, and align Nigeria with international best practices.

The 2026 budget earmarks N7 billion for online learning platforms for secondary schools, part of a broader digital infrastructure push. The numbers are indeed ambitious.

Also, the education minister recently defended a N2.39 trillion budget proposal for 2026 before the National Assembly. While the minister identifies digitalisation as a core pillar of his Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), the budget reveals a complex tension between “high-tech” dreams and “low-tech” realities.

The centrepiece of the 2026 plan is an ambitious expansion of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The goal is to equip over five million Nigerian youths with employable skills. The TVET initiative (tuition-free for the 2025/2026 session) covers 25 trade categories. However, a significant internal debate has emerged regarding the manual versus digital split in these reforms.

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is currently migrating all trade syllabuses to digital platforms. New curricula include AI image generation, robotics, coding, and smart agriculture. Alausa has restated that digital tools are essential for “leapfrogging” the infrastructure gap, using AI simulations for welding and lab work where physical equipment is missing.

Interestingly, the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education (NMEC) has been granted autonomy to target millions of young Nigerians for digital literacy, addressing what the minister termed “the significant number of young people who remain without basic literacy skills.”

Alausa framed it as an existential necessity. “The shift from chalkboards to smart boards symbolises a move from one-way teaching to interactive, technology-driven learning that promotes engagement and creativity,” he said at the October 2025 launch.

Yet, even as the ministry celebrates its distribution of smart boards, critics pointed to a fundamental disconnect. The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has condemned the N7 billion allocated for online learning as a “misplaced priority”, given the dilapidated state of many public schools.

Its National Mobilisation Officer, Michael Adaramoye, pointed out that investing heavily in digital platforms while schools lack basic infrastructure is putting the cart before the horse. Adaramoye argued that while it is true that students need to be equipped with advanced tools to aid effective learning, the starting point must be the provision of well-equipped classrooms, a serene learning environment, and improved welfare for students and teachers that meet global standards.

The ERC noted that many public schools lack adequate classrooms, functioning toilets, or even reliable electricity, raising obvious questions about how smart boards will function when connected to unstable power grids. The group also questioned the fate of the N10 billion allocated for similar online learning initiatives in 2025, demanding transparency on outcomes before new billions are committed.

This critique resonates with findings from the developed world. Meg Jones, a professor at Georgetown University, recently testified that she would rather her elementary-school son complete a paper word search than use a low-quality digital platform. “Being bored on a networked device is different from being bored on a piece of paper,” Jones explained, noting that networked devices open children to broader internet risks and data privacy concerns.

For two decades, the global classroom was defined by the blue light of the screen. From the ‘One Laptop Per Child’ dream to the pandemic-era surge in Chromebooks, technology was hailed as the ultimate equaliser. But in 2026, the tide has turned.

In a movement experts call the ‘Great Recalibration,’ some of the world’s most advanced education systems are dismantling their digital-first models, returning to the tactile fundamentals of printed textbooks, pen and paper.

As Sweden, parts of the United States, and the United Kingdom adjust their screen use in response to concerns about literacy and “digital laziness,” Nigeria stands at a pivotal point.

Again, as some Western countries reconsider extensive technology use, Nigeria is navigating a transition that seeks to balance developing a robust “digital backbone” with meeting critical physical infrastructure needs.

The most dramatic reversal has occurred in Sweden. Long a pioneer in classroom digitalisation, the Swedish government has started a total reversal. Minister of Schools, Lotta Edholm has allocated over €100 million (685 million SEK) to put physical books back on every student’s desk.

“We have gone too far and too fast,” Edholm stated. “The uncritical attitude that considered digitalisation inherently ‘good’ has led to a decline in basic literacy and concentration.”

Sweden’s decision is supported by recent data. Despite high connectivity, international reading assessments (PIRLS) indicated a steady decline in Swedish students’ reading comprehension between 2016 and 2021. Educators observed that although students were adept at using digital interfaces, they sometimes struggled to maintain focus.

In the United States, some states, such as California, have introduced laws requiring cursive handwriting for grades one to six. Meanwhile, districts from Maryland to Pennsylvania are bringing back paper-based assessments, citing aims to address concerns around students’ attention and technology use.

The simple act of repeatedly hitting a key with the same finger is less stimulating for the brain, researchers explained. When children learn to write on a tablet, they often struggle to distinguish mirror-image letters because they haven’t “felt” the physical production of letters.

While Nigeria races toward digitisation, other developing nations are proceeding with more caution. Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education, implementing new education reforms, has printed 106 new textbooks for Grade Six students, reiterating the continued primacy of physical learning materials.

The government is developing a “flexible policy approach” to integrate new technology and the digital world, but as a supplement, not a replacement.

“For Nigeria, the Sri Lankan model offers an alternative path – digital resources as a complement, not a substitute. It introduces pilot programmes before national rollout and maintains textbooks as the foundation, while technology serves as an enhancement,” Education consultant, Dr John Effiong, stated. Indeed, while the Global North pulls the plug, Nigeria is wiring up.

Critics, however, have pointed to the 5.8 per cent capital release rate in 2025 as proof that the “digitalisation” pillar may be overshadowing the physical needs of vocational centres. While the government promotes coding, industry stakeholders warned that Nigeria’s economy still desperately needs masons, plumbers, and electricians who can work with their hands, not just their keyboards. Nigeria’s rush towards “total adoption” faces three existential threats highlighted by the Western “back to paper” movement.

Alausa disclosed a staggering 3,500-teacher shortage in Federal Unity Colleges, particularly in science, mathematics, and technical subjects. Throwing tablets into a classroom without a qualified instructor results in “babysitting by screen” rather than instruction.

Similarly, Prof. Olatoye Akanbi of the Ekiti State University (EKSU) noted that with 70 per cent of Nigerian 10-year-olds unable to read a simple sentence, the global lesson is clear. “Technology does not fix poor literacy; it masks it. If students in Sweden see comprehension drop because of screens, the impact on a child struggling with phonics could be catastrophic.”

Also, an educationist, Dr Jane Adubifa, reminded that many Nigerian schools remain unfenced and lack stable electricity. “The Minister himself noted that this limits the deployment of modern security and ICT systems. The 2026 budget seeks to address this, but the ‘Great Recalibration’ suggests that the most effective tool for safety and focus might be the one that doesn’t require a battery – the physical book.

“The global shift back to paper is not a rejection of progress, but a return to pedagogical balance. For Nigeria, the lessons are urgent. Before every child gets a tablet, such a child must have a functional textbook. Nigeria must invest in the massive local production of physical books. The cognitive benefits of physical reading and handwriting are non-negotiable for early development,” Adubifa insisted.

For other stakeholders, tech should be an “aid” (a tool), and not the “head” (the teacher). They noted that reform must be measured by learning outcomes, and not by the number of gadgets distributed.

Emphasising the need to focus on hybrid learning, stakeholders noted that digital tools could be used for data management and teacher training, while the core of student learning should be anchored in the physical world.