Mr Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), says technology advancement is vital for productivity in teaching and learning.
Inuwa made this known in an online Edtech Summit 2020, which showcased solutions, innovations, policies and companies that are leading the way within this changing environment.
Represented by Dr Collins Agu, Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy Department, NITDA, Inuwa repeated that the COVID-19 pandemic and the fourth industrial revolutions had created a global learning crisis.
He said in addition to the global health crisis, the pandemic was causing all sectors and the traditional schooling system to change to the new normal.
According to him, without bold reforms in the education sector, through the introduction of education technology and clear policies to guide the citizens through, many people will lack the necessary skills to fill the new positions in the future economies.
”Our educators have a responsibility to prepare students, providing them not only with the knowledge and understanding of the technologies but also the skills needed to make them work-ready and succeed in a fast changing world,” Inuwa said.
He stated that NITDA had introduced an EdTech solution, ‘The Unity Board’, with an Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence platform for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics education.
According to the NITDA boss, the initiative, which was championed by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, during his tenure as Head of the agency, was targeted at driving learning and teaching of emerging technologies.
He added that it was also designed to function with local content development and ensure indigenous technology for human capital development.
”The Unity Board is a hands-on tool that will help students to build their skills through critical thinking, communications, problem solving and invention, as well as ignite great things in them,” he said.
He further explained that the educational tools, techniques and curriculum used for decades by the sector might no longer be of use, hence, the need for skills on emerging technologies.
Inuwa listed such skills as: the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, Virtual Reality, Cloud Computing, 3D printing, and many more.
The NITDA DG called for collaborations with various stakeholders and ministries, departments and agencies to utilise the indigenous education technology solution.
He stated that the Unity Board would enable the country’s educational sector to measure up with the fast changing world as well as diminish deficiency in all other sectors.
Read also: NITDA To Support AMAC With ICT Training
