Funmi Ogundare
The Lagos State government, in partnership with UNICEF, has inaugurated the Nigerian Learning Passport (NLP), a digital learning tool designed to close the poverty gap with a focus on equitable quality learning for children, youths and teachers across the country.
It also aims to drive improved learning outcomes through high-quality, portable education to support their entry into other education or opportunity pathways, including formal and non-formal education.
Speaking at the launch held recently in Lagos, the Chief of Lagos Field Office UNICEF, Celine Lafoucriere, expressed concern about how the world has fallen off track in realising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)4, adding that school closures hindered the learning of 50 million students in Nigeria during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic.
“While nothing can replace face-to interaction with teachers and peers in the classroom, the learning passport will provide learning opportunities even when school attendance isn’t feasible or when children need to revise at home to bridge the learning poverty gap,” Lafoucriere stated.
She described digital literacy as not just the right thing to do but can be a key driver for economic growth, competitive business as well as a national advantage for Nigeria.
She commended the Lagos State Ministry of Education for keying into the initiative, noting that “to narrow digital inequalities, everyone must be involved, we need governments like Lagos State to take ownership whilst UNICEF commits to engaging young people on Generation Unlimited Nigeria ( GenU 9JA) to leverage innovation, widen models of cooperation, and ensure private sector collaboration.”
The Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo, who inaugurated the NLP, said it would be a key driver to ensure that the children are well educated.
She emphasised the importance of investing in technology and said it would go a long way in building essential 21-century skills and promoting creativity and collaboration.
She thanked UNICEF, saying the state is willing to take ownership of the project provided it is sustainable.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr Abayomi Abolaji, commended UNICEF and explained that the UN agency complemented Lagos’ efforts to ensure that out-of-school children could also learn.
He appealed to school administrators, teachers and students to take advantage of the initiative.