Dennis Erezi
The deployment of educational technology to revolutionise the teaching and learning processes in Nigeria’s education sector will dominate centre stage at the Sixth African Edu-Tech conference in Abuja.
The gathering also underscored the importance of technology in upscaling the educational needs of the people.
Experts highlight some of the challenges militating against the widespread adoption of educational technology in Nigeria to include inadequate funding, a shortage of technological facilities, unstable power supply, poor internet services, lack of computer teachers, poor implementation of Information Communication Technology (ICT) policies, low ICT literacy among students, high costs of ICT facilities, lack of technical support for maintenance, corruption, and insecurity.
However, despite these challenges, they posited that educational technology, if optimally harnessed will revolutionize the teaching and learning process in the country.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Chairman, Board of Trustee, Education First Nigeria, Dr Macjohn Nwabiaola, announced that stakeholders in the education sector including thought leaders, policymakers, educators, and innovators from across Africa and the United Kingdom will converge on Abuja for the Sixth African Edu-Tech conference.
Billed to hold from October 29-31, 2024 with the theme, ‘Building an Effective African Edtech Ecosystem for Global Impact’, he said the event is aimed at proffering solutions on revitalising the education system using technology and innovations.
Dr. Nwabiaola underscored the importance of technology in upscaling educational needs of the people.
He said: “We are in a world where things are changing and we must ensure that our children can be enabled to compete globally when it comes to education.
“Some years ago when our students sit for JAMB, it was paper and pencil examination but gradually we made it a Computer Based Test (CBT) which was criticised but here we are CBT has come to stay.
“Edutech is very critical and we need to look at our policies in education, we need to bring all stakeholders and it will be holistic as children with special needs will be involved.”
Nwabiaola explained that the education sector is faced with a lot of challenges that must be solved through collaboration.
The annual event which will be hosted by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), is organised by the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) in partnership with Education First Nigeria Limited (Edufirst.ng).
On his part, Founder, Education First Nigeria, Moses Imayi, said the organisation and Skool Media had supported over 110 educational institutions through setting up of their digital centres.
Imayi said the goal was to put technology at the heart of learning in schools across the country, noting that these centres have helped to bridge digital gaps.
He pointed out that the conference is an opportunity to mobilise stakeholders to begin to look at the importance of education, stressing that investment in education is an investment in the country’s socio-economic development.
The conference, he added, will serve as a platform to mobilise every stakeholders to begin to popularise the importance of education.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator, UBEC Digital Resource Centre, Prof. Bashir Galandaci, emphasised the importance of technology in learning which informed the basis for hosting the conference.
Galandaci said UBEC had introduced several digital programmes with the aim of radically transforming basic education in the country.
