UNICEF Enrols Over 38,000 Borno Students in Digital Learning Revolution
By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that over 38,000 students and 100 teachers have been enrolled in the digital learning in Borno state.
According to the Fund, digital learning is through the recent introduction of the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) platform in the country.
The digital learning platform was unveiled yesterday (Friday) by the UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Joseph Senesie, to mark the 2025 International Day of Education (IDE) in Maiduguri.
He said the IDA is observed annually across the globe in providing an opportunity for the pivotal roles of education in fostering global peace and sustainable development.
The IDA theme: “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Education—Preserving humanagency in a world of automation” was to provide an opportunity to explore thechallenges and prospects that could expand learning opportunities for children and youths in the country.
He noted that since 2023, UNICEF, in collaboration with the state government, supported technological initiatives that enhanced digital learning through the NLP platform in schools and homes.
Senesie stated that NLP, funded by the Norwegian government, FCDO, Airtel, and SONY, is a digital learning platform that has free access to localised education content.
Besides, he added that it enables quality teaching and learning activity in the library.He said that the platform is also accessible both online and offline.
According to him, NLP has been deployed in 18 states, reaching over 290,000 users, including 190,000 students in the Northeast.
Highlighting the importance of NLP, the Chief Field Officer said, “It provides access to 15,000 teaching and learning materials,” stating that it aligned with the national curriculum and global supplements, including the training of teachers in digital literacy and pedagogical skills.
He added that in Borno alone, over 102 teachers, with 38,657 learners, have been enrolled and actively registered in at least one course on the platform.“There are huge gaps that still exist in reaching the most disadvantaged children in rural communities with quality and inclusive education,” he lamented.
Explaining that over 50 percent of IDP children in the Northeast are out of school, noting that the right to education is yet to be translated into the right to learn.
Senesie, therefore, called on the state government and development partners to embrace the change that comes with technology and make it worth adopting.“You should allocate more resources for digital learning in the state,” he said.
According to him, the world has evolved digital platforms for increased access to knowledge and skills acquisition for a better future.He urged the children to continue putting in their best at school by acquiring the values of basic education.
The Director, in the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Suleman Abba Sheriff, said: “Computers will be distributed to all schools along with the ongoing training of teachers with their tablets in classrooms.
Other activity at the commemoration included a Spelling Bee Competition, with the Chad Basin Junior Secondary School winning the first prize of N500,000, while Bolori Junior Secondary School clinched the second position with a N300,000 prize.
