…as Nigeria’s implementation gaps highlight need for coordinated regional action

By Favour Ulebor

The Member representing Kanke State Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly and Education Technology Expert, Hon. Jacob Kassam, has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to deepen its commitment to education technology and innovation across member states as a pathway to transforming learning outcomes in the region.

He made these findings public during his presentation themed ‘Prioritizing Education Technology and Innovation in the ECOWAS Region’, at the ongoing meeting of the Joint Committee on Education, Science and Culture, and Communication, on Tuesday in Dakar, Senegal.

He said Nigeria, though well-positioned with several education technology policies and frameworks, continues to face challenges with full implementation, which limits the overall progress of the region.

He said, “Nigeria has demonstrated a strong commitment to ed-tech integration in their education systems, but also reveals several important challenges to implementation. Nigeria introduced the National ICT Policy in 2010 and the National Policy on ICT in Education in 2019, yet the policy has faced several setbacks. First, it has not achieved its stated objectives due to poor implementation.

“Second, the state ministries of education, the stakeholders responsible for implementation of the policy, especially regarding teacher training, do not have knowledge of the required training.”

He also noted that, “The deliverables and key performance indicators highlighted in the guidelines for implementation are not effectively measurable, meaning it is not possible to evaluate their contribution to education quality in the country.”

According to him, adequate funding for the implementation of ICT policies in education also remains a major challenge in Nigeria.

He said, “We have the policies, but implementation is the problem.”

As part of his recommendations, Hon. Kassam urged ECOWAS to support a comprehensive mapping of digital learning platforms across West African countries to assess gaps in access and infrastructure.

He also emphasised the need to invest in electricity, internet connectivity, and digital devices for schools, especially in rural communities.

He further recommended targeted efforts to build teacher capacity through both pre-service and in-service training, and called for increased public-private partnerships to drive innovation and sustainability in education systems.

Commenting on other member states, Hon. Kassam observed that Benin and Senegal lack specific ed-tech policies, while countries like Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire are at different stages of adoption, with varying degrees of infrastructure, funding, and teacher training support.

The ECOWAS Commission, Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy & Digitalization, Mr. Sédikou Douka, Represented by the Acting Principal Programme Officer, Telecoms and Post Policy and Regulation, Mr. Mawuli Amoa, in his presentation themed ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Education and Skills Development in West Africa’, stressed the importance of digital innovation in transforming education across the region.

He said, “ECOWAS acknowledges that digitalization is a tool for addressing the challenges in the education sector and a driving force for innovation.”

He also noted that “EdTech gives early childhood and primary school students more opportunities to access digital learning and creativity. Although, education in Africa is lacking because of a lack of readiness to incorporate digital technologies into early learning, which includes, among other things, lack of platforms and services, expensive equipment, and inexperienced teachers.”

Mr. Amoa further emphasised the need for a regionally coordinated AI policy framework that reflects African realities and values.