Experts have identified Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP), Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), and Youth Agency Market Place (YOMA) as digital learning platforms opportunities to reduce Out-of school children in Lagos.
These experts say that as school systems globally is pivoting to digital learning, the state government is leveraging opportunities to make digital learning platforms a viable option that is accessible to all children, they added that it will reduce the challenge of Out-of school children.
“With two million out-of-school children in Lagos State, its Government has stated that it is ready to leverage the digital platforms supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to address the menace in rural areas, ” said Dr. Adejare Afolabi, Director, Policy/Planning/Research and Statistics, Ministry of Education, during a two-day Dialogue themed, ‘Digital Learning Platform’.
The programme held in Patron Hotel, Lekki, is organized by National Orientation Agency (NOA) in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
According to Director, Policy/Planning/Research and Statistics, Ministry of Education, the existing Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) method with which UNICEF had trained over 3,000 facilitators and provided tablets for such purpose would help the children improve their learning with the audio-visual system provided and will reduce abstract learning.
“We are leveraging on the existing NLP, an online/offline platform designed to complement the existing system of imparting knowledge and learning, it’s an initiative of federal, and state governments in partnership with UNICEF.
“We have a number of out-of-school children, and some who are slow in assimilating so this platform will help them listen, watch, learn and understand better what they are being taught in the classroom.
“It’s a complimentary platform used to boost the normal traditional learning system which we are using to reduce and address such issues, especially in places like Makoko and other suburbs.
The Director noted that the idea is to bridge the gap between the fast and the slow learners, adding that every child can learn at his/her own pace, and also revise topics that they can understand and assimilate.
“Even teachers are incorporated in the system, as they have the opportunity platform to teach students by projecting the contents because children of these days learn faster with audiovisual materials.
Speaking, on the overview of Youth Employment, Skilling, and Upskilling in Nigeria, Taiye Tunkarimu, Head of Communications, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), said that the body also engaged in digital grassroots programme to create wealth, especially for the youths.
According to her, “We have done a digital grassroots programme with UNICEF, and we were able to train market people on how they can use the digital platform to promote their business, make gain and expand their customer base.
“We enable job and wealth creation in Lagos State through access to finance, access to infrastructure/vocational skills training, access to market as well as business support.
“UNICEF is our partner and we have done a couple of training and engagements with them, including the digital literacy programme to train people at the grassroots.
“The training was on WhatsApp business after which they were empowered with phones to promote their business and enhance their customer relations, all of this we did with UNICEF support.
Also, Joannes Yimbesalu, Programme Specialist, UNICEF who spoke on the ‘Youth Agency Market Place (YOMA), described YOMA as a digital platform created by young people which allows them to build and transform their futures”.
Yimbesalu said that 87% of Yoma users globally are Nigerian youth adding that it gives them the opportunity to participate in learning, skilling, and social impact task and as they engage with these opportunities, they earn tokens which they can use to redeem on the Yoma marketplace for data and airtime and access to premium courses.
He stated that UNICEF is partnering with the government and private sector to give young people the capacity to build and transform their futures and be productive citizens
“We are passionate about young people and giving them the platform across Africa to be employable and the key thing is promoting opportunities for these people.
“We need to create this awareness more to promote the opportunity including in the rural communities, to enable them to be aware and access the opportunities for employment.
“One of the key things is about targeting the most marginalized, and the focus is working with key stakeholders and the media to ensure that no child is left behind,” he added.
Emphasising on the media dialogue, Blessing Ejiofor, UNICEF Communication Officer, stated that the programme is organized to spur the media to support advocacy on digital learning solutions for children and young people with a focus on bridging the digital divide, especially for girls and those in hard-t-reach communities.
Anthonia Obokoh
