UNICEF PUSHES E-LEARNING IN ENUGU, DECRIES ALARMING RATE OF OUT OF SCH CHILDREN IN NIGERIA

REPORTER: EMEFIENA OKONKWO

UNICEF says Nigeria has the highest number of out of school children, globally.

The world body also noted that school closures due to insecurity in the 2020/2021 accademic year affected over 1.3 million children in 11,000 schools in the country, while in Enugu State, 38 of every 100 children do not enroll into primary education at the school entry age of six.

The Chief of Office, UNICEF Field Office, Enugu, Mrs. Juliet Chiluwe, stated this in Enugu during Advocacy meeting with critical education stakeholders in Enugu State on Nigeria Learning Passport, a new solution designed to close the huge learning gap.

Mrs. Chiluwe explained that Nigeria Learning Passport, which she described as “alternative pathway for learners,” would afford children the opportunity of quality learning and skills development.

She further stated that the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) is an online, offline and mobile digital platform while UNICEF had provided 400 mobile devices mostly to poor and rural schools for smooth commencement of the new learning platform.

One of the participants in the advocacy meeting and Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Enugu State Ministry of Education, Mr. Chris Edenwatu, explained that though the Ministry had been running an on-air programme during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF scaled up the programme and made digital learning permanent with the introduction of certification through the Nigeria Learning Passport.

Mr. Edenwatu noted that already, 670 teachers were trained in Enugu in 2022 on Nigeria Learning Passport, while more than 142,000 users had so far enrolled on the platform nationwide.

In an interview, the Co-ordinator of Nigeria Learning Passport in Enugu State, Mr. Celestine Ngwu, noted that with the intervention of UNICEF, one of the communication networks in the country was offering free internet services to users of Nigeria Learning Passport.

Mr. Ngwu revealed that pupils and students without mobile phones could access the Nigeria Learning Passport with their emails and school computers.

He commended UNICEF for transforming education in the country through the Nigeria Learning Passport.

The advocacy meeting was attended by education secretaries in all the 17 Local Government Areas of the state; UNICEF Communications Officer, Dr. Ijeoma Onuoha-Ogwe; and the UNICEF Education Specialist, Dr. Agatha Nzeribe.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU