Airtel, UNICEF link 1,668 Nigerian schools to digital learning

The Airtel Africa Foundation and UNICEF have connected 1,668 schools in Nigeria to digital learning, reaching nearly one million students.

The partnership has given 977,670 students and 22,417 teachers access to online educational resources, the foundation said.

Beyond connecting schools, the programme seeks to cut the cost of learning online. The foundation provides free access to the Nigeria Learning Passport, the YOMA youth platform and digital services run by the Federal Ministry of Education. Users of these platforms do not pay for the data they use.

The foundation says the Nigeria Learning Passport has reached 2.5 million students, while YOMA has one million users.

Schools can also submit data to the Digital National Education Management Information System, Nigeria’s education planning database, at no data cost.

During a recent visit to schools in Lagos, representatives of the two organisations saw students using technology to learn digital skills and explore artificial intelligence.

Those taking part included girls in secondary schools and students at a technical college training for technology-related careers.

The foundation said the partnership with UNICEF and the Nigerian government is part of its push to widen access to quality education and digital inclusion.

The programme is part of a wider Airtel Africa and UNICEF partnership to connect schools across the telco’s African markets.

Nigeria has one of the world’s largest populations of out-of-school children, making expanded access to learning a pressing need.

The organisations say more work is needed to extend the benefits further.

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