Experts in the education sector have called on stakeholders to invest in digital literacy and entrench it in school curriculum.
This was the takeout at the just concluded Edtech Mondays, an initiative by the Co-Creation Hub (CCHUB) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation’s Centre for Innovative Teaching & Learning in ICT.
The panel session, themed “Accelerating Digital Literacy for the Benefit of Education System in Nigeria”, moderated by the Practice Lead, Education CCHUB, Chinyelu Akpa, which featured other Edtech experts, discussed extensively the enormous benefits of prioritising digital literacy in Nigeria.
One of the panelists, Azeez Ojoro, a teacher at State High School, Oyewole, Agege, Lagos, said acquiring digital skills is now inevitable to function effectively in an increasingly digital world.
According to him, digital skills are critical for the benefit of education systems and the socioeconomic progress and advancement of the country.
While calling on the government and other stakeholders to work together to address issues of access to digital devices, data subsidy and remuneration, Ojoro maintained that adopting digital literacy skills has become compulsory for both learners and teachers.
Another panelist, Ademuyegun Olowojoba, explained that the organisation’s goal is to empower Africans with digital skills that would help them become professionals and prepare them for the future of work.
He added that there was no doubt that digital literacy significantly improved learning outcomes in Nigeria, given the level of access to information and resources available now.
The Director of Research and Development, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr Agu Collins, said the agency has been at the forefront of promoting digital literacy in Nigeria through various initiatives or interventions.
He noted that the interventions are meant to bridge the challenges of increasing cost of digital devices, internet access and electricity.
