UNICEF, AIRTEL AFRICA, FG EXTEND FREE DIGITAL EDUCATION TO 2,000 SCHOOLS
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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Airtel Africa and the Federal Government have expanded access to free digital learning and skills development to nearly 2,000 schools across Nigeria, benefiting approximately one million students and more than 20,000 teachers.
The initiative, implemented through a partnership between the three organisations, is designed to improve access to digital education, enhance teachers’ skills and equip young people with employability and entrepreneurship capabilities.
The partners disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday following visits by a joint Airtel Africa and UNICEF delegation to schools and youth programmes in Lagos and Abuja to assess the initiative’s impact.
The delegation, led by Garreth Spillane, Chief of Staff to the Chairman of Airtel Africa, visited Government Senior College, Agege, and St George’s U.N.A. Primary School, where students and teachers demonstrated how digital learning tools, including artificial intelligence, were being integrated into classroom activities.
At Yaba College of Technology, the delegation observed young people using the Passport to Earning programme and the Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA) to acquire digital, employability and entrepreneurial skills.
According to the statement, the platforms also connect young people with mentorship, internship and livelihood opportunities.
The partners disclosed that more than 19,000 teachers had received digital literacy training under the initiative.
The programme also seeks to eliminate financial barriers to digital education by offering free access to selected learning platforms through zero-rated data services.
These platforms include the Nigeria Learning Passport, the Federal Ministry of Education’s Inspire and Ignite platforms, the Digital National Education Management Information System and YOMA.
The statement noted that the Nigeria Learning Passport had recorded more than 2.5 million registered students and nearly 100,000 registered teachers.
Speaking on the initiative, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Nigeria, Rownak Khan, said free access to digital learning was helping bridge the digital divide and connecting children and young people to educational and economic opportunities.
Khan explained that the partnership was strengthening teachers’ capabilities while creating pathways for young people to translate learning into employment and income-generating opportunities.
She emphasised the importance of ensuring that girls, children with disabilities and those in underserved communities were not excluded from the programme.
Khan stressed that these groups must be among the primary beneficiaries of expanded digital learning access.
Also speaking, Spillane said connectivity could transform education by giving students access to quality digital content and enabling teachers to use technology more effectively.
He reaffirmed Airtel Africa’s commitment to working with UNICEF and governments to connect schools, eliminate data-cost barriers through zero-rated learning platforms and support teachers across the continent.
The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’idu Ahmad, said transforming Nigeria’s education sector required strong partnerships that aligned with government priorities and the needs of learners.
Ahmad said the government would continue to prioritise teacher development, access to quality digital learning resources and online safety for children.
She added that efforts must be sustained to improve teachers’ capacity, protect children online and ensure that digital education reached learners regardless of their location.
During the Abuja leg of the visit, the delegation met with officials of the Office of the Vice President and the Federal Ministry of Education to discuss strategies for improving connectivity, digital content quality, teacher training, inclusive learning systems and child online safety.
The discussions also addressed ways to strengthen education data systems and develop sustainable funding mechanisms to improve learning outcomes.
The partners reiterated their commitment to addressing existing challenges and expanding access to digital learning opportunities across Nigeria.
The statement further disclosed that the five-year partnership between Airtel Africa and UNICEF had connected more than 3,000 schools in 13 African countries, provided zero-rated access to over 60 learning platforms and reached more than 2.5 million children.
The Airtel Africa Foundation, established in 2024, focuses on tackling socio-economic challenges across Africa through initiatives in education, digital inclusion, financial inclusion and environmental protection.
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