The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has called on the Federal Government and education intervention agencies to prioritise the deployment of Artificial Intelligence-powered classrooms across polytechnics and colleges of technology nationwide.

The association specifically urged the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the Council of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in Nigeria (COHEADS) to include the EDON Digital Classroom Initiative in future intervention programmes.

Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, NAPS President, Eshiofune Paul Oghayan, said Nigeria’s polytechnic education system must embrace modern digital technologies to remain globally competitive.

He lamented that many polytechnics still rely on outdated teaching methods, conventional chalkboards and limited practical learning facilities despite the growing global shift toward Artificial Intelligence, automation and smart technologies.

According to him, the EDON Digital Classroom Initiative, which features 98-inch interactive boards, embedded AI teaching tools, 3D animation simulation software and smart classroom analytics systems, would transform technical and vocational education across the country.

“The global economy is rapidly moving toward Artificial Intelligence, automation, robotics, digital manufacturing, smart engineering systems, virtual simulations, and Industry 4.0 technologies. Polytechnic education must therefore evolve in order to remain relevant,” he said.

Oghayan explained that AI-powered learning systems would enable students to conduct virtual practical simulations, understand complex engineering concepts more effectively and improve their digital literacy and innovation capacity.

He added that the initiative would also expose students to globally accepted learning technologies and strengthen entrepreneurial and technical skills among graduates.

The NAPS president noted that representatives of the association recently visited colleges of education where the digital classroom solution had reportedly been deployed, observing improved classroom engagement and lecturer productivity.

He said intervention from TETFund remained the most sustainable pathway for nationwide implementation, especially as many institutions lacked the financial strength to independently undertake large-scale digital classroom transformation projects.

According to him, adopting the initiative under TETFund programmes would ensure equal access to smart learning infrastructure for students across all regions of the country.

Oghayan further described EDON as an indigenous educational technology solution capable of promoting local innovation and supporting Nigeria’s digital economy.

He appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to support the initiative as part of efforts to advance digital transformation in the education sector under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The association called for immediate policy actions and collaboration among relevant stakeholders to modernise polytechnic education and prepare Nigerian students for the future global economy.