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By Oluseye Ojo
About 2.4 million children and teachers across Nigeria are now using the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP), a digital education platform designed to expand access to curriculum-based learning, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed.
UNICEF Lagos Chief of Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, disclosed this on Wednesday at the official launch of the platform in Oyo State at the Local Government Hall, Secretariat, Ibadan.
She said Oyo had become the 26th state to adopt the platform and urged the state government to ensure that children in rural and underserved communities, particularly girls, were not left behind.
“Today, approximately 2.4 million children and teachers across Nigeria are already using the Nigeria Learning Passport. With this launch, Oyo State becomes the 26th state to adopt the platform,” Lafoucriere said.
The NLP provides thousands of curriculum-aligned lessons in Mathematics, English and Science, which can be accessed through mobile phones, tablets and computers, both online and offline.
Lafoucriere said Airtel covers the cost of data used on the platform, enabling children, teachers and families to access learning materials without paying for data.
She said the introduction of the programme in Oyo came at an important time, following the recruitment of 5,000 teachers by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde.
According to her, the NLP was developed in response to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, when school closures affected more than 1.6 billion children worldwide.
She said the platform was designed to ensure continuity of learning through mobile phones, radio and other channels, including in communities with limited or no internet connectivity.
The UNICEF official, however, warned that the success of the initiative should not be judged merely by the number of people registered on the platform.
“Success should not be measured only by the number of registrations on the platform,” she said.
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According to her, attention must be paid to whether children are actually using the platform and whether it is translating into improved learning outcomes.
She identified the inclusion of underserved communities, sustained teacher training and effective monitoring of usage and learning outcomes as critical to the programme’s success in Oyo State.
Lafoucriere said the NLP was developed through collaboration between UNICEF, the Federal Government and several private and development partners.
She said Microsoft developed the technology platform, while the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) provided financial support. IHS Towers supported connectivity infrastructure, TECNO provided devices and Airtel covers data costs for users.
According to her, UNICEF ensures that learning materials on the platform are aligned with the Nigerian curriculum, available in languages children understand and complemented by appropriate teacher training.
Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Segun Olayiwola, said the state was embracing the platform as part of efforts to prepare children and teachers for the demands of the 21st century.
He said technology was transforming the way people worked, communicated and acquired knowledge, stressing that education could not be left out of the transformation.
Olayiwola said the NLP would extend learning beyond the conventional classroom by giving pupils and students access to educational resources in their homes and communities.
He urged teachers to embrace the platform as a complement to classroom instruction and a means of strengthening their professional capacity.
The commissioner also encouraged learners to use technology responsibly and productively, while calling on school administrators to provide the leadership and support necessary for sustained use of the platform, particularly in underserved and vulnerable communities.
Earlier, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bamidele Oyinloye, described the launch as another milestone in Oyo State’s efforts to transform education through technology and innovation.
She said the initiative was consistent with the state government’s commitment to improving learning outcomes, strengthening the education system and ensuring that no child was left behind.
