The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria has called on the government and other stakeholders to exploit the opportunities offered by digitisation for learning and development of children.
Development Diaries reports that UNICEF Nigeria made this call in recognition of the Day of the African Child, commemorated on 16 June yearly.
In a statement, the United Nations agency said the education sector in Nigeria faces many challenges, one of which is poor access to quality learning.
UNICEF noted that this has resulted in limited school infrastructure and qualified teachers, high levels of poverty and social norms not supportive of education, especially for girls.
It added that these challenges are exacerbated by attacks on schools and abduction of learners; which have made parents fearful of sending their children to school.
Data from UNICEF shows that ten million children of primary school age are not in school. For those in school, the quality of learning is poor, with 75 percent unable to read with understanding or solve a simple math problem.
‘The rights of the child in the digital environment offers us the opportunity to advocate for digital inclusiveness for all children – the right of every child to participate in the digital space’, the statement read.
‘In realising this right, we are equally offered the opportunity of exploiting the digital space for learning and development’.
UNICEF highlighted its effort to bridge access to quality learning opportunities among Nigerian children by launching the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education.
The NLP is an online, mobile, and offline digital learning platform powered by Microsoft that enables continuous access to 15,000 curriculum-aligned learning and training materials in local languages for learners, teachers, and parents.
It is understood that since its inception, the NLP has provided access to quality teaching and learning resources to 280,000 learners, teachers, parents and young people.
‘Digital technology provides us with a platform to innovate and seeks ways for inclusive quality education for all children’, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, said.
Source: UNICEF
