The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF has launched the Nigeria Learning Platform in Lagos.
The platform, an application that enables continuous access to quality education for both online and offline was in conjunction with Lagos State Ministry of Education.
The Governmet said that Nigeria Learning Platform was designed as a solution to close the learning poverty gap, and also serve as education model for all levels of education, including adolescent skills, technical and vocational education.
According to UNICEF Nigeria, while every user of the app has a personalised record of their learning history which is unique to them, teachers and parents also receive the tools and empowerment to support student learning.
The UNICEF Chief Field of Office Lagos, Ms Celine Lafoucriere explained that the face-to-face interaction between teachers and peers was irreplaceable as the Learning Platforma would provide learning opportunities when school attendance is not feasible.
Lafoucriere said UNICEF sees the deployment of the Learning Passport as an opportunity to narrow digital inequalities, reach the most marginalized; empower girls and young women; and prepare the workforce of the future.
She says, “The Learning Passport can be quickly deployed, customized and scaled-up nationally and locally, including in low connectivity and hard to reach areas. It is also an effective tool to accelerate state education reforms to make quality learning opportunities available to more children, anytime, anywhere.
“Digital literacy is not just the right thing to do, it can also be a key driver for economic growth; competitive business, and a national advantage for Nigeria. Young people must be equipped with skills and opportunities that will transform Nigeria into a country with sustainable economic growth. The cost of inaction is high.”
She enjoined stakeholders to key into such initiative while UNICEF continues to engage young people to leverage innovation, widen models of cooperation, and ensure private sector collaboration.
Lagos efforts
The State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo who appreciated UNICEF for the learning platform explained that Lagos has been employing technology to boost learning and school management both in schools and outside schools especially hard to reach areas.
Adefisayo explained that the use of technology was sacrosanct to promote creativity and collaboration because employing technology would raise the bar of greatness.
According to her “The State already has Eko Excell where we want to ensure that all our students are learning at the same pace in primary school and this has improved their literacy and numeracy skills.
“We have to invest in education if we want our children to abel to hold themselves globally and be able to work anywhere in the World.
“Education is not a cost, it is an investment because it drives economic growth and opportunities, In Lagos, we want to continue to integrate technology to teaching and learning, because you can teaching and learn, communicate with people across the world, entertainment yourself among others with technology.”
She added that the State has just purchased devises that has core subjects including Mathematics and English which would be distributed to students in few days.
Complementing Learning
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr Abayomi Abolaji also noted that the UNICEF app was complementing the learning models implemented by the Lagos State Government during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Mr. Abayomi enjoined all stakeholders to take advantage of the platform.
He said: “The platform is beneficial to those in and out of school, and in Lagos, no one is left behind in the scheme of things on the State.”
He implored the teachers, student and parents to take advantage of the additional tool so that learning could be enriched, and teaching would be fulfilled to all stakeholders.
Confidence Okwuchi
