Experts Suggest Using Local Languages to Boost Digital Education

The need to integrate indigenous languages with digital education resources in promoting literacy skills in line with 21st-century expectations has prompted stakeholders in the education sector to initiate and seek public-private partnerships to boost the availability of these resources to students in Nigeria.

This was the focus of discussion from the just concluded August edition of Ed-tech Monday - an initiative of Mastercard Foundation, in partnership with CcHub Limited.

The virtual discussion with the theme ‘Access to Digital resources’, featured discussants from different segments of the education industry.

Gideon Olanrewaju noted that lack of digital skills and access to digital resources are major challenges in Nigeria.

“The foundation of learning, which begins with comprehension skills, has been affected due to failure of educators at both private and public sectors to adopt languages best understood by the students,” said Olanrewaju. “As you are aware, if the children are unable to have such foundational skills, it would be very difficult for them to access or use the knowledge that is obtainable from digital resources.”

He urged the government and educators to use local languages to teach students digital skills and invest in community-level infrastructural development to find lasting solutions to the problem of access to digital resources.

Another participant, the Digital Content and Innovation Manager at Airtel Networks Limited, Bankole Alao, noted that connectivity remained a huge barrier to adopting digital learning in Nigeria, more so in this challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the solution to this challenge lies in the readiness of stakeholders to collaborate.

Also speaking, Kayode Akinwale, a member of Virtual Learning Teachers, noted that COVID-19 had further proved the effectiveness of technology in digital learning for students and parents.

Akinwale identified connectivity cost, poor power supply, limited understanding of digital resources by students, teachers, and cost of digital devices as major barriers that Nigeria needed to guarantee equitable access to digital resources for the students.

“Networks providers can also provide free access to learning platforms just as is done by Facebook,” he stated.

L-R: Olasunkanmi Atolagbe, acting AdCademy Director; Emeka Obia, Leo Burnett; Rebecca Otepen Adenaike, Max Edge Communications Ltd; Jenkins Alumona, Vice-President AAAN/Chairman AdCademy Committee; and Temitope Jemerigbe, Publicity Secretary, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, at the cheque presentation to winners of the AdCademy Masterclass Management Challenge, in Lagos... recently