We have over 280,000 active users on our e-learning platform in one year — UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria has announced that over 280,000 students and teachers in Nigeria have already registered and become active on the Nigeria Learning Platform (NLP) within a year of its introduction. The digital learning platform was launched to enhance education in Nigeria.

UNICEF has also provided 13,500 tablets, 1,000 smart rechargeable projectors, and 780 internet routers to 780 public schools located in hard-to-reach and underserved communities across the country. This effort aims to bridge the education gap and ensure that every Nigerian child has access to quality education both in schools and at home.

Babagana Aminu, the Education Specialist at UNICEF Nigeria, expressed the organization’s commitment to supporting Nigerian children in accessing quality education. The NLP is an online, mobile, and offline learning platform specifically designed for primary and secondary education in Nigeria.

It offers over 15,000 learning materials in video, pictorial, and textual formats, covering various subjects based on the national curriculum. These materials are available in English and major Nigerian languages, allowing learners and teachers to access them easily and freely from anywhere.

UNICEF not only advocates for the platform but also actively encourages its usage by the intended users. Aminu urged other development partners, particularly the World Bank and USAID, to collaborate in scaling up digital learning in Nigeria.

Regarding the theme of the Day of the African Child, which focused on the rights of children in the digital environment, Aminu emphasized the abundance of useful digital materials available, such as those found on the NLP. He encouraged parents to allow their children to utilize phones and laptops for learning and development and to guide them in accessing appropriate educational content.

Aminu clarified that the NLP is designed to complement, not replace, traditional classroom teaching and learning. UNICEF remains committed to expanding the platform’s reach, aiming to increase the number of active users across states in Nigeria. Currently, 24 out of the 36 states, mostly from the North, are utilizing the platform in their schools. The remaining states are expected to launch and adopt the platform soon.

Dr Afolabi Adejare, the Director of Policy, Planning, Research and Statistics at the Lagos State Ministry of Education, acknowledged the positive impact of the NLP on digital learning in the state. He mentioned that while the state had already implemented digital learning before the introduction of NLP, the platform has brought about a significant revolution.

Around 50 state-owned schools spread across the 20 local government areas of Lagos State have started using the NLP, resulting in remarkable outcomes.

However, the limited number of tablets and projectors currently available restricts wider implementation. Dr Adejare assured that more schools would gradually be included until all are covered.

Omowunmi Alawiye, a Mathematics teacher at Ladoje Nursery and Primary School in Agege, shared that the NLP has greatly enhanced teaching and learning in her school, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Students are enthusiastic to learn using the platform and tablets, actively participating during lessons.

The major challenges they face are occasional interruptions in internet connectivity and insufficient tablets to serve the entire school. Alawiye urged the state government and UNICEF to address these issues to promote knowledge acquisition and sharing.

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