Connect with us

News

Nigeria targets Almajiri reform with digital education initiative, NITDA says – Technology Times

info

Published

on

1776668752 admin ajax.png

The Federal Government is advancing plans to integrate digital education into Nigeria’s Almajiri system, in a move to address the country’s rising population of out-of-school children through technology-driven learning and skills development.

The initiative is being driven through a collaboration between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE), following a recent high-level engagement at NITDA headquarters in Abuja, according to a statement by the tech agency, NITDA.

Muhammad Sani Idris, Executive Secretary of NCAOOSCE, says the Almajiri system is facing deep-rooted structural challenges affecting children’s welfare and access to education.

According to him, these challenges include parental abdication of responsibility, widespread street begging, vulnerability to exploitation, and the growing number of out-of-school children across the country.

Idris called for stronger institutional collaboration to reposition the system through digital education and structured skills acquisition.

“He requested NITDA’s collaboration to transform the system through digital education and skills acquisition,” the Commission says in a statement.

In response, Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of NITDA, proposed the deployment of the agency’s Digital Literacy for All initiative through existing Almajiri structures.

The strategy, according to Inuwa, will leverage members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as digital literacy champions, integrate technology training into Almajiri learning centres, and establish digital hubs to deliver basic to advanced digital skills.

Both agencies say the framework is designed to bridge learning gaps and expand access to modern competencies for vulnerable children who are currently outside the formal education system.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to using technology as a tool for inclusive education and national development, announcing the establishment of a joint implementation committee to coordinate the rollout of the programme.

The collaboration reflects a broader shift in Nigeria’s education policy, where digital literacy is increasingly being positioned as a strategic instrument for tackling exclusion and youth vulnerability.

Nigeria continues to grapple with one of the largest out-of-school children populations globally, driven by poverty, insecurity in parts of Northern Nigeria, and systemic barriers to formal education. The Almajiri system, historically rooted in traditional Islamic learning, has in recent years become associated with street begging and heightened child vulnerability, particularly in urban centres.

The proposed intervention signals a transition from welfare-based responses to a more structured, skills-driven model, where technology serves as both an educational platform and an empowerment tool.

However, stakeholders acknowledge that implementation will require addressing key constraints, including funding, infrastructure readiness, training capacity, and connectivity challenges in underserved communities.

The newly constituted joint committee is expected to define operational guidelines, deployment frameworks, and scale-up pathways for the initiative.

Stay ahead with real-time reports, breaking news, and exclusive insights delivered directly to your phone. Don’t settle for outdated information. Join TECHNOLOGYTIMES NEWS on WhatsApp for 24/7 updates.

Join Our Whatsapp Channel

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Peter Obi certificates: Abayomi Arabambi not our member – Labour Party

info

Published

on

By

Labour Party.jpg

The Labour Party, LP, has maintained that Abayomi Arabambi, who recently dragged the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, to court over Mr Peter Obi’s academic records, did not do so as a member of the party.

In a statement by LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Eluma Asogwa, the party said it chose to remain silent when it first learned of the development on social media, believing that reacting would only feed the desires of some clout chasers.

It, however, noted that a reaction has become inevitable now that the story has found its way into some mainstream newspapers, with headlines describing Arabambi as an LP chieftain.

The party clarified that while it wishes to refrain from commenting on the substance or otherwise of the litigant’s case before the court, particularly as Peter Obi is no longer its member, it said the public should be informed that Arabambi is not a member of the Labour Party.

Recommended

The statement read, “On Wednesday, 18th March 2026, the National Executive Council, NEC, of the Labour Party suspended 25 of its members for various infractions bordering on anti-party activities. That suspension, which was made public and widely reported by several mainstream media organisations across the country, included the said Abayomi Arabambi and a few other former members.

“The suspension was subsequently ratified by the National Convention of the Party, the highest decision-making organ of the Labour Party, on 28th April 2026. Following the said ratification, the affected members ceased to be members of the Party. It is also worth mentioning that, since the above decision was taken by the Labour Party, no organ of the Party has sat to revisit or reverse the decision concerning the expelled members.

“It is therefore against this background that the Labour Party wishes to inform the general public, and particularly the media, that Abayomi Arabambi is not a member of the Labour Party and could not have instituted any action in court as a member of the Party, having long severed ties with the Labour Party.

“If Abayomi Arabambi has presented himself to the public as a chieftain or representative of the Labour Party, the general public is hereby notified that such representation is entirely unauthorised and, prima facie, amounts to impersonation.

“The matter is currently being reviewed by the Party’s lawyers for the purpose of determining the appropriate legal and other steps that may be taken, including a possible petition to the relevant law enforcement authorities.

“Finally, the public is hereby notified that this press release is issued solely to clarify the alleged relationship between the litigant and the Labour Party and has no bearing whatsoever on the validity or otherwise of his claims against Mr Peter Obi before the court.

“The Labour Party nonetheless hopes that this statement has put the matter in its proper perspective and, most importantly, clarified the status of Abayomi Arabambi vis-à-vis the Labour Party.”

Continue Reading

News

Desmond Elliot kneels before Gbajabiamila, apologises over APC primary fallout

info

Published

on

By

Desmond Elliot 1.jpg

Lagos State House of Assembly member, Desmond Elliot, has apologised to the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, over his conduct during the last All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Lagos.

Elliot was seen in a video circulating on social media kneeling before Gbajabiamila and asking for forgiveness, while also appealing to be accepted back into the APC fold in Lagos.

“I’m sorry, I have no excuse. I have nothing other than to say I’m deeply sorry, and I am hoping to be cultured in the future,” Elliot said.

His apology followed a disagreement with the party leadership over the APC primary conducted in May to select its candidate for the Surulere Constituency I seat.

Recommended

Elliot had withdrawn from the primary, alleging that his supporters were subjected to intimidation and political pressure during the exercise.

He later rejected the outcome of the election and vowed to challenge the process through the party’s appeal mechanism.

The former actor ultimately lost the APC ticket to Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, who was widely believed to have the backing of Gbajabiamila.

Odunuga-Bakare secured 11,385 votes in the primary, defeating Elliot, who polled 270 votes.

Continue Reading

Trending