The Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) has been launched in Kano State, northwest Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Education and the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) had partnered to provide continuous access to quality education to three million learners in 2022 alone, and a total of 12 million by 2025.
An e-learning platform, the NLP is designed for pre-primary, primary, and secondary school learning, allowing children, the youth, and teachers to access a digitised curriculum.
Through the platform, users can access learning materials in all core curriculum subjects for primary one to six, and all junior and senior secondary school classes.
Speaking in Kano, UNICEF Nigeria Chief Officer in Charge, Serekeberehan SeyoumDeres, called for a multi-stakeholder approach to the proper use of the platform.
‘At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, sporadic school closures hindered the learning of 50 million students in Nigeria alone and more than five million in Kano State’, SeyoumDeres said.
‘Frequent attacks on schools, including the abduction of children, who should always be safe in school, had complicated the fear of the unknown’.
He added, ‘But together, we are finding solutions. While nothing can replace the face-to-face interaction with their teachers and peers in the classroom’.
The UNICEF representative also noted that the NLP would provide learning opportunities when face-to-face interaction is not feasible or when children need to revise and bridge the learning poverty gap.
He commended the government of Kano State for unveiling the creative digital learning solution, saying it will increase access to excellent learning for all pupils.
In a 2018 basic education report, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) noted that Kano State had the most out-of-school children in Nigeria, with 989,234 not in school at the time.
Photo source: UNICEF/UN0536006/Dejongh
