By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

The Ogun State government has reaffirmed its status as Nigeria’s leading education hub with the deployment of OgunLearn, an artificial intelligence-powered digital learning platform, designed to transform teaching, learning and education administration across the state.

The government also rewarded the top 10 teachers who emerged outstanding in the OgunLearn competition held among educators in state-owned schools, as part of efforts to encourage digital innovation and excellence in teaching.

Speaking during the award ceremony in Abeokuta on Tuesday, the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, said Ogun State has continued to lead educational innovation through technology-driven reforms and data-based decision-making.

According to him, the state’s digital transformation journey began about five years ago with the introduction of the Learner Identification Number (LIN), a unique digital identity system for learners, teachers and schools that has since attracted national recognition and adoption.

Arigbabu said, “Ogun State has always been known as the education capital of Nigeria, and it is therefore not surprising that we continue to provide leadership in educational innovation” .

“Five years ago, we introduced the Learner Identification Number. At the time, many people questioned the initiative, but today it has become a model that several states across the federation are adopting. I must commend the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, for supporting its nationwide adoption.”

The commissioner stressed that reliable data remains the foundation for effective educational planning and policy implementation.

“The only way to move education forward is through accurate data. We must know our learners, teachers, facilities and available resources. With the database we have built, government can effectively plan interventions, monitor progress and deploy resources where they are most needed,” he stated.

Arigbabu explained that the state’s comprehensive database now enables authorities to track student movement across schools, manage teacher deployment and retirement, assess infrastructure needs and administer bursaries and scholarships more efficiently.

“Today, bursaries are paid directly to beneficiaries because we have a robust database. We know every learner, every teacher and the facilities available in each school. We know schools that have toilets and those that do not. We know when teachers are due for promotion, transfer or retirement,” he said.

Describing OgunLearn as a homegrown educational technology solution, Arigbabu said the platform was specifically developed to meet Nigeria’s educational realities.

“OgunLearn is a special AI-powered teaching and learning platform customised to Nigerian needs. It is built on the Nigerian curriculum and schemes of work prepared by our teachers. The platform reflects our learners’ culture, environment and everyday experiences, making learning more relatable and effective,” he said.

“A platform developed elsewhere may not adequately address our peculiar needs. OgunLearn is a product of extensive research based on our engagement with learners, teachers and communities across the state.”

He noted that the platform has significantly reduced teachers’ workload by automating lesson planning and providing instructional support materials.

“Our teachers no longer have to spend long hours preparing extensive lesson notes. OgunLearn has simplified that process and allowed them to focus more on classroom engagement and learner development,” he added.

The commissioner disclosed that the platform also supports computer-based testing, remote assessments and virtual learning, while the long-term vision of the government is to establish fully digital classrooms across the state.

“The ultimate goal is a digital learning environment where teaching and learning can take place seamlessly through laptops, tablets and smartphones, whether physically or virtually,” he said.

Arigbabu further revealed that OgunLearn forms part of a broader digital education ecosystem that includes the Digital Platform for Education Administration (DIPA), Ogun Scholar and other technology-driven initiatives aimed at improving learning outcomes.

On teacher development, he said the government had continued to invest in training and motivation programmes to deepen digital literacy among educators.

“We recognise and reward outstanding users of the platform because motivation is important. When we started, we had only 11 OgunLearn ambassadors. Today, the number has grown to over 110, and we expect it to increase further through our train-the-trainers programme,” he stated.

As part of the event, the top 10 performers in the OgunLearn competition received tablet devices and other incentives to support their professional development and enhance digital teaching practices.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Ogun State Teaching Service Commission, Apostle Abiodun Sanyaolu, said the commission, will continue to support programmes and policies that promote teacher development, technological advancement and excellence in service delivery.

On his part, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Ogun State, Comrade Noah Sewakanu, represented by his deputy, Comrade Adenaike Owolabi, praised Governor Dapo Abiodun for creating an enabling environment for educational reforms and digital innovation.

Among the award recipients were Mr. Oluwole Bilesanmi of Itele High School, Mr. Bello Abeeb Babatunde of Remo Secondary School (Junior), and Mrs. Abiola Oyindamola Hassan of Shamsudeen Grammar School (Junior), Ijebu-Igbo, alongside other outstanding teachers recognised for their active engagement with the OgunLearn platform.