The Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, has lamented that high percentage of Nigerian school children at the basic level of education are “learning poor,” warning that the country must urgently embrace digital technology to reverse the alarming trend.

Alausa made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja during the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Roundtable Convening Meeting on Digital Resources Available to Achieving Learning Outcomes.

The high-level meeting brought together government officials, State Commissioners for Education, chairmen of States Universal Basic Education (SUBEBs) and other critical stakeholders.

The minister explained that learning poverty refers to the inability of a child to read and understand an age-appropriate text by the age of 10, stressing that the latest data showed that three out of every four Nigerian children fall into that category.

He described the situation as unacceptable, saying education delivery must move beyond traditional paper-based methods to technology-driven learning.

“We don’t have a choice. We have to use technology. It is no longer feasible to continue to do things manually. Digital learning is the future, and we must deploy it to every part of the country, including the most rural communities,” he said.

Alausa urged state governments, particularly Commissioners for Education and Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), to take advantage of the digital learning platforms already developed by the Federal Government.

He listed the platforms to include the Nigeria Learning Passport, Inspire, Ignite, EduRevamp, E-Learn, the Greenfield Learning Management System (LMS) and virtual classroom solutions, noting that they were designed to complement classroom teaching rather than replace teachers.

According to him, the platforms contain curriculum-aligned lessons delivered by some of the country’s best teachers and can help address the shortage of qualified teachers, especially in subjects such as Mathematics, English, Physics and Chemistry.

He explained that schools facing shortages of subject teachers could connect to live or recorded virtual lessons while students would also have opportunities to interact with teachers online and ask questions.

The minister, however, expressed concern over the poor utilisation of the platforms despite the huge investment made by the Federal Government and development partners.

He revealed that while the Nigeria Learning Passport currently has about 2.3 million users, the figure remains insignificant compared to the country’s estimated 67 million learners across primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools.

“This is still extremely low. We have invested significant resources in these platforms. If they are not used, then it becomes a wasted investment. We cannot continue to suffer in the midst of plenty,” he said.

Alausa commended UNICEF for its support in developing the Nigeria Learning Passport, noting that the platform proved valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic and was later deployed to ensure learning continuity for students affected by insecurity and school closures.

He added that the digital resources could also support continuous professional development for teachers by improving their digital literacy and classroom delivery skills.

The minister called on state governments to organise orientation programmes for school principals and teachers to demonstrate how to effectively utilise the platforms and monitor their adoption across schools.

He also highlighted UBEC’s ongoing construction of digital learning resource centres equipped with computers, smart boards and solar power systems in schools across the country to improve access to digital education.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, said technology had become indispensable in building an inclusive, resilient and future-ready education system.

She noted that the commission had established digital learning centres in primary and junior secondary schools, deployed smart interactive boards, strengthened education data systems and introduced digital monitoring and evaluation platforms.

Garba also disclosed that UBEC had inaugurated Digital Champions to drive digital transformation across the commission and support states in implementing education technology initiatives.

According to her, technology alone cannot transform education unless supported by effective coordination, strong partnerships, capacity building and a willingness by stakeholders to embrace innovation.

She said the roundtable was designed to deepen collaboration among the Federal Ministry of Education, UBEC, State Ministries of Education, SUBEBs and development partners to accelerate the adoption of digital learning resources across Nigeria.

Garba expressed confidence that the initiative would improve teaching and learning outcomes while advancing President Bola Tinubu’s agenda of strengthening human capital development through quality education. (Nigerian Tribune)