The United Nations Children’s Fund on Saturday said it has enrolled 33,532 children in Borno state on the Nigeria Learning Passport.
Speaking at the annual quiz competition organised for school children supported with the NLP intervention in Maiduguri, the Education Officer, UNICEF Maiduguri Field Office, Charles Atiya, stated that 425 teachers and facilitators were trained on blended learning teaching methodology to serve the enrolled children
According to her, the Nigeria Learning Passport is a digital platform offering free, localised educational content that can be accessed via web and mobile.
“It features digital learning records and data analytics, and has been launched in 21 states, reaching over 800,000 users—including 230,000 students,” she said
Charles emphasised that “In Borno State, 33,532 learners have been enrolled this year and have completed at least one course on the platform. 425 teachers and facilitators have been trained on blended learning teaching methodology and community meet-up meetings to promote parent buy-in and to support their children’s learning”
She explained that the platform provided more than 17,000 teaching and learning materials aligned with the Nigerian national curriculum and global supplementary resources
“With over 30,000 teachers in 21 states trained in digital literacy, pedagogy, and blended learning teaching methodology. The platform can be used by learners, teachers, educators, parents/caregivers,” she added
She, however, noted that the initiative is part of UNICEF’s strategy to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state
“UNICEF, together with the government, is working very hard to reduce out-of-school children and ensure they are enrolled back to school, and one of the models is the use of Nigeria Learning Passport,” she added.
“One thing that is visible for us and that we identified as a major success is the fact that we can bring in the Tsangaya school learners,” she stated
She appreciated the Borno state government and other partners for supporting the initiative with resources that enabled its success
She said, “On behalf of UNICEF, I would like to express our deep appreciation to the Borno State Government for their outstanding support and collaboration in rolling out the Nigeria Learning Passport.
“We thank our partners for making this possible. With support from donors like Airtel, SILSA, SONY, and FCDO, UNICEF has provided 270 Samsung tablets, 30 routers, and projectors to schools, with 10 offline devices that were installed in areas without or having limited connectivity.”
“We also acknowledge our CSO partners, Innovation Hub and Multi-Aid and Charity Initiative (MACI), and Mercy Eleos Frontida Foundation for their dedication to implementing the NLP and ensuring children have continued access to learning,” she added.
Charles urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity to improve their digital skills
“I encourage you to keep learning and building your digital skills, as these are essential for the future. To parents and teachers, we appreciate your ongoing support in helping young people continue their education,” she concluded.
Similarly, PUNCH Online had reported in October that UNICAF donated Information and Communication Technology equipment to the Sokoto State Operations Coordinating Unit to support social protection activities.
The UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Mr Michel Juma, said the gesture was aimed at strengthening and ensuring a functional National Social Register for identifying and supporting more poor and vulnerable persons.
(Punch)
