FG to develop framework for digital literacy

The Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Abubakar Isah, has said efforts are on top gear for the implementation of a digital literacy policy framework.

He disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at a two-day workshop on policy initiatives for digital learning in Nigerian Universities being attended by 19 vice-chancellors and 13 directors of Africa Centres of Excellence from different locations in the country.

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The workshop is organised by the Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDO), NOUN, in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning in Vancouver, Canada, and the African Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL).

Isah said the present government would soon come out with a digital framework for digital literacy having provided a learning website for the entire country that had over 15,000 videos.

He said the videos covered both primary and senior secondary schools and were made available for free online.

“We have another website for teachers to help them in lesson planning and so on and they are all online for free.

“We are working with the UBEC in the opening of digital learning centres ‘smart schools’ for the use of the digital tools.

“We have trained over 45,000 teachers across the country on digital literacy and the use of digital tools in the classroom.

“So, the Federal Government is doing quite a lot to bridge the use of ICT equipment in schools,” he said.

Speaking at the event, Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede, the foundation Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) had called for the implementation of a national policy to promote digital learning in the country.

Jegede, while delivering his lecture, said no country would achieve a proficient digital economy without digital skills.

“All over the world people have embraced technology much more than we think; there is nothing you can do now without technology. Technology has taken over all parts of our system.

“It has become imperative to appreciate the role of technology in teaching and learning so that the next generation will be better placed in appreciating the world and of being trained for the workforce and better entrepreneurs.

Earlier, the director of RETRIDO, NOUN, Prof. Christine Ofulue, said the objective of the workshop was to address issues that would drive distance learning in Nigerian universities.