Oando Foundation (OF), an independent charity and Sumitomo Chemical, a Japanese Chemical Company, are partnering to support ICT Education through the establishment of three-solar powered ICT Centres in public primary schools across the country.
This partnership will impact the lives of over 2,400 beneficiaries; bridging the existing gaps in the implementation of ICT in public schools and empowering pupils in Oando adopted schools, with technology skills through creativity and learning.
It will also strengthen the capacity of in-school ICT Educators to ensure knowledge transfer and successful implementation of the national curriculum on ICT.
In a statement, the company said the Foundation is supporting the government in achieving Universal Primary Education through its Adopt-A-School Initiative (AASI), aimed at a holistic improvement of public primary schools. ICT education was included in the Nigerian primary school curriculum in 1999 by the National Education Research and Development Council (NERDC). but the gaps in implementation are still evident. While most children in rural areas do not have access to a computer, three out of every five children in the urban areas lack basic ICT skills, the release said.
To reverse this negative trend, the Foundation has established 15 ICT/Creative Centres in its adopted schools, serving the learning needs of over 16,000 pupils. An expansion plan is in place to scale up across 47 additional schools by 2018.
According to Adekanla Adegoke, Head, Oando Foundation “ICT is an essential skill for the Nigerian youth. Pupils need to be able to use the latest technology to gain an effective education and stand alongside their peers globally in the twenty-first century.