Vice President Kashim Shettima has backed efforts by the ProFuturo Foundation and Kukah Centre to bring digital tools into Nigeria’s basic schools, saying the project interprets the kind of forward-thinking leadership the country needs.
Receiving a delegation from both organisations at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, 10 June, the Vice President said preparing pupils for a digital future must sit at the heart of national development plans.
He linked the push to wider infrastructure work in the capital, saying Wednesday’s formal opening of Abuja’s Arterial Road N5 as another example of the government’s commitment to sustained delivery in the FCT.
Bishop Matthew Kukah, who heads the Kukah Centre, told the Vice President the group came to show support for President Tinubu’s administration on education reform.
Kukah argued that embedding digital skills early would give Nigerian children a stronger footing in a tech-driven global economy.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Approves N10bn for Ebola Emergency Preparedness
ProFuturo’s Deputy Director, Albert Martinez, said results so far were down to a mix of local expertise and political backing.
Project coordinator Dr Emmanuel Nkanta added that the initiative had so far been rolled out to 123 schools across 13 states, reaching about 72,000 learners and training 1,150 teachers.
Shettima urged the team to bring more partners on board and secure additional funding if the programme was to be scaled nationally.
He said the long-term goal was to digitise Universal Basic Education Boards (UBEB) nationwide through the National Economic Council (NEC).
Also in attendance were Budget and Economic Planning Minister Senator Abubakar Bagudu, ProFuturo’s Head of Global Operations Tomas Mensi, and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Executive Secretary Dr Aisha Garba.
0 Comments