The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Airtel Africa, in partnership with the Federal Government, have connected nearly 2,000 schools across Nigeria to free digital learning platforms.
The initiative has reached about one million students and more than 20,000 teachers, with over 19,000 teachers trained in digital literacy.
This was disclosed in a joint statement issued by UNICEF and Airtel Africa on Wednesday, following visits by a delegation of both organisations to schools and youth development programmes in Lagos and Abuja.
The delegation, led by Garreth Spillane, Chief of Staff to the Chairman of Airtel Africa, assessed the impact of the partnership on digital education, skills acquisition and employment opportunities.
According to the statement, the initiative is aimed at bridging the digital divide by providing students, teachers and young people with access to quality learning resources without data costs.
Spillane said connectivity could transform education when students had access to quality digital resources and teachers were equipped to use modern learning tools.
“Connectivity brings transformative opportunities when it helps students access quality digital learning and enables teachers to use digital tools effectively, as we’ve seen demonstrated so ably here in Nigeria,” he said.
Spillane reaffirmed Airtel Africa’s commitment to working with UNICEF and governments to connect more schools, eliminate data-cost barriers and strengthen teachers’ digital capacity across Africa.
It said the partnership had removed data-cost barriers through zero-rating of the Nigeria Learning Passport, Federal Ministry of Education’s Inspire and Ignite platforms, and the Digital National Education Management Information System.
Other platforms benefiting from the initiative include the Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA), which provides opportunities for mentorship, internships, entrepreneurship and livelihoods.
The statement revealed that the Nigeria Learning Passport alone had recorded more than 2.5 million registered students and nearly 100,000 registered teachers.
During the Lagos visit, the delegation inspected Government Senior College, Agege, and St George’s U.N.A. Primary School, where students and teachers demonstrated the use of digital learning tools, including Artificial Intelligence (AI).
At Yaba College of Technology, young people showcased how the Passport to Earning and YOMA platforms were helping them acquire digital, employability and entrepreneurship skills.
The delegation also visited Abuja, where it engaged the Office of the Vice President and the Federal Ministry of Education on strategies to strengthen digital education across the country.
The discussions focused on reliable internet connectivity, quality digital content, teacher training, inclusive education, child online safety and sustainable financing.
Speaking on the initiative, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Nigeria, Rownak Khan, said access to free digital learning would help children and young people acquire knowledge and skills needed for future opportunities.
“Access to free digital learning not only bridges the digital divide but also brings children and young people closer to the knowledge, skills and opportunities they need to shape their future and that of their country,” Khan said.
She explained that the partnership was supporting teachers while creating opportunities for young people to move from learning to earning.
Khan stressed the need to prioritise girls, children with disabilities and those in underserved communities to ensure equitable access to digital education.
In her remarks, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’idu Ahmad, emphasised the importance of partnerships in transforming Nigeria’s education sector.
“Transforming education in Nigeria requires strong partnerships aligned with government priorities and learners’ needs,” she said.
Ahmad called for increased investment in teachers’ capacity, quality digital learning content and online safety measures to ensure that no child was excluded.
She reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding digital learning opportunities to children across the country, irrespective of their location.
The statement added that the five-year Airtel Africa–UNICEF partnership had connected more than 3,000 schools across 13 African countries.
It said the partnership had also provided data-free access to more than 60 digital learning platforms and reached over 2.5 million children across the continent.
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