By Favour Nnabugwu

Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’I has decried the level of Information Communication Technology (ICT) penetration in Nigeria’s education system, saying it is still low.

Rufa’I made the observation last Monday, at the opening of the 1st Annual National Conference on ICT in education in Abuja.

She said poor regulation of ICT education was responsible for the proliferation of computer training schools that among other things; “offer all sorts of certificates and programmes based on curricula that are undefined.”

She said this practice was unacceptable as government, which was fully aware of the vital role ICT played in enhancing the competitiveness of the economy within the global marketplace, has put in place a strong machinery for the integration of ICT in education.

She said ICT could be used to widen the access to education, reduce the cost of providing education as well as increase the ability of governments to deliver on their social goals because through a strong educational system, all other sectors will be effectively developed.

“This conference with the theme: Formulating a viable policy framework for ICT in education, is therefore not only timely, it is also crucial as it aligns with the current drive by the Fedral Government to integrate ICT into every sector of the economy and particularly, the education sector.

“In the Federal Ministry of Education, we believe that successful contributions to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education For All (EFA) Goals are most likely to be made through the development and deployment of ICT in education,” the Minister said.

“Our aim is to map out strategies for effective implementation of ICT in education; facilitate exchange of stakeholders’ experiences, and provide concepts and tools for formulating viable ICT in education policies,” she stated.