Otti inaugurates smart school in Ohafia

Governor Alex Otti of Abia on Wednesday inaugurated Ofali Agwu Smart School to promote digital learning in the state.

Otti said this during the inauguration of Ofali Agwu Smart School in Amaekpu Ohafia in Ohafia Local Government Area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project was facilitated by the Member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, Chief Ibe Osonwa, with support from stakeholders and development partners.

The governor said that the government had developed a prototype for transforming public schools in the state into model schools.

He expressed the determination of the government to make the standard of public schools to be higher than that of private schools in Abia.

He said that plans were underway to introduce the use of digital learning and teaching aids in public schools in the state.

Otti said that the government had commenced a digital training programme for teachers in public schools to make them Information and Communication Technology compliant.

He said: “We have started a programme, where we are retraining teachers to fit into the digital world.

“We want our teachers to know how to use computer and teach our children what the rest of the world is learning today.

“We want teachers who know something about artificial intelligence, robotics, 3-D printing, electric vehicles and driverless cars, and interactive technology.”

The governor said that this was aimed at producing manpower equipped with the right competence and right skills to meet the current demand for a digitally skilled workforce.

In an address, Osonwa expressed his desire to promote digital learning and assured that the initiative would be replicated across his constituency.

Osonwa said that the state-of-the-art, interactive digital screens have cameras and digital screens that capture classroom activities and allow students to revisit lessons at any time.

According to him, this also enables remote participation for learners outside the school premises.

He said that the current trend in the world had made it clear that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) play a vital role in education.

He said that teachers in the school had undergone comprehensive training on the use of the new technology to serve as trainers for others.

He thanked all the stakeholders including the governor for contributing to the actualisation of the initiative.

In a remark, the Chairman of Ohafia LGA, Chief Eleanya Kalu, described the initiative as novel and expressed gratitude for the decision to institute a smart school in the area.

“My promise from the Local Government Area angle is that we will make sure that the facility is protected and is not vandalised,” Kalu said.

Also, a representative of the development partners for the Initiative, Mr Olayomi Gbolahan, said that the school had been equipped with ten state-of-the-art interactive touchscreens, known as electronic blackboards.

Gbolahan, who is also the Founder of Wowbii Interactive Technology, said that the facility would be solar-powered for adequate power supply to ensure that learning takes place from 8:00am to 3:00pm, from Monday through Friday.

He also said that the CCTV cameras had been installed in the building for adequate surveillance and to ensure that the building remained secured.

Gbolahan also said that the facility could be put to multiple use for things such as women digital development center, youth vocational skills center.

Earlier, a student of the school, Miss Joy Chidowe, expressed delight over the transformation of her school into a smart school.

Chidowe appealed to the state government to implement measures that would strengthen digital learning experience in the school.