By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

In a bid to increase connectivity in Osun State public schools, a group, IHS Nigeria Limited, in conjunction with the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, have commenced training of selected teachers and officials of the Ministry of Education on digital literacy.

Over 100 teachers were drawn from both the public Primary and Secondary schools across the state by UNICEF with a view to ensuring that both the rural areas were also covered.

Speaking at the training programme held at Western Sun Hotel, Ede, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Muritala Jimoh, said the state government embrace the digital campaign because of its necessity for educational development.

“This is a thing of joy for us in Osun State that we have now created a platform for our students in Osun State to join their colleagues worldwide to learn digitally.

“The teachers we have here were selected not by the Ministry of Education but by UNICEF itself, and if you look at the breakdown, they were drawn from across the states, including rural areas. Nowadays, no teachers are living in rural areas who cannot make use of a phone, as simple as phone usage is. If they are trained the way we are training them today, they’ll be able to apply it anywhere they go as long as the internet facility is available”, he said.

Earlier in her keynote address, IHS Director of Sustainability Titilope Oguntuga, who was represented by the Manager Sustainability, Tolulope Oyenuga disclosed that digital literacy in contemporary world is not just a luxury but a necessity to prepare students for future challenges.

Her words, “In today’s world, digital literacy is not a luxury, it is a necessity. By providing access to these tools, we are helping students acquire skills that will empower them to participate actively in tomorrow’s economy.

“Through this programme, and in partnership with UNICEF as the program partner, we are not only connecting schools to reliable digital infrastructure but also enabling access to the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP)—a powerful e-learning platform that equips both teachers and students with quality resources for continuous learning.

“We are also pleased to be working with Focus Teens Foundation, our last-mile implementing partner, ensuring the successful deployment of connectivity solutions and digital literacy training directly to schools that need them most”.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director, Focus Teens Foundation, the facilitator of the programme, Olanipekun disclosed that the programme is part of UNICEF’s mandate to ensure that all schools are digitally connected before 2030.