From Kayemo News
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Airtel Africa have expanded access to free digital learning and skills development in Nigeria, connecting nearly 2,000 schools and reaching about one million students through their partnership with the Federal Government.
The initiative, which removes data-cost barriers to digital education, is also supporting teachers and helping young people develop digital, employability and entrepreneurship skills to improve their prospects for employment and sustainable livelihoods.
A UNICEF delegation, accompanied by government partners and representatives of Airtel Africa led by Garreth Spillane, Chief of Staff to the Chairman of Airtel Africa, recently visited schools and youth programmes in Lagos to assess the impact of the partnership.
At Government Senior College, Agege, and St George’s U.N.A. Primary School, the delegation observed students and teachers using digital learning resources, including artificial intelligence tools, to support teaching and learning.
At Yaba College of Technology, young people demonstrated how the Passport to Earning initiative and the Youth Agency Marketplace, also known as YOMA, are equipping them with digital and employability skills while creating pathways to mentorship, internships and entrepreneurship.
The partnership has reached about one million students and more than 20,000 teachers across nearly 2,000 schools, with over 19,000 teachers trained in digital literacy.
It achieves wider access by zero-rating selected educational platforms, allowing users to access them without incurring data charges. These include the Nigeria Learning Passport, the Federal Ministry of Education’s Inspire and Ignite platforms, the Digital National Education Management Information System and YOMA.
The Nigeria Learning Passport alone has more than 2.5 million registered students and nearly 100,000 registered teachers.
Speaking on the initiative, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Nigeria, Rownak Khan, said free digital learning was helping to bridge the digital divide and bringing children and young people closer to the knowledge, skills and opportunities needed to shape their future and that of the country.
Khan said the partnership with Airtel and the Nigerian government was supporting teachers and creating pathways from learning to earning.
She stressed the need to ensure that girls, children with disabilities and young people in underserved communities were among the first to benefit from expanded digital learning opportunities.
Spillane said connectivity could create transformative opportunities when it enabled students to access quality digital learning and helped teachers use digital tools effectively.
He emphasised Airtel Africa’s commitment to working with UNICEF and governments to connect schools, eliminate data-cost barriers through zero-rated learning platforms and support teachers across the continent.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’idu Ahmad, said transforming education in Nigeria required strong partnerships aligned with government priorities and the needs of learners.
She stressed the importance of strengthening teachers’ capacity, expanding access to quality digital content, protecting children online and ensuring that every child could benefit from digital learning, regardless of location.
In Abuja, the delegation also met officials of the Office of the Vice President and the Federal Ministry of Education to discuss ways to strengthen reliable connectivity, improve the quality of educational content, expand teacher training and promote inclusive digital learning.
Other priorities discussed included stronger education data systems, child online safety and sustainable financing to improve learning outcomes.