NIGERIA’S education system has been on the decline. According to a recent World Bank study; “employers complain that the quality of university graduates and secondary school graduates, especially their communication skills, has been falling continually for two decades”.
However, it was clearly indicated in the study that improvement in communication skills, use of computers and information technology by graduates will help increase their productivity.
Different tiers of government have been investing funds in the education sector to ensure that this critical segment of the society is put on a proper pedestal to contribute to national development. However, allocation to the education sector, whether at the federal or state level, falls far below the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO’s recommended six per cent of GDP, a threshold which the world body stated must be crossed for the sector to be revived and possibly developed to meet current needs.
Currently, Nigeria allocates the equivalent of 1.6 per cent of its GDP to education, leaving a huge funding gap which is manifested in inadequate facilities for both students and teachers, and poor maintenance of available facilities. This gap is being creatively filled by a few organizations that focus strongly on education as a corporate social responsibility. Against this backdrop, firms like MTN, Exxon Mobil, Fidson Pharmaceutical, Dufil, Promasidor, Shell and Chevron to mention a few have been contributing to the sector.
However, among the aforementioned organisations, MTN stands tall, seting aside one per cent of its annual profit to invest in corporate social investments schemes including education. Recently, the leading telecommunications company demonstrated its commitment to revamping and growing Nigeria’s education sector when it implemented its annual 21 Days of Y’ello Care; a staff volunteerism campaign, in which it mobilized both material and human capital from within the organization to invest in communities where it operates across the world. The exercise was marked with different activities focusing on raising the quality of education across many states of the federation.
In the 2014 edition of 21 Days of Y’ello Care, special attention was paid to the role of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in enhancing the quality of education and empowering students with up-to-date knowledge and information that will equip them to compete with their peers from other parts of the world. This ties in nicely with the Federal Government’s policy on ICT in the education sector.
In the National Policy on Education (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004), the critical role of ICT in the modern world was highlighted. ICT was subsequently integrated into Nigeria’s education curriculum. To actualize the goal of integrating ICT into the education system, state governments were tasked to provide basic infrastructure and training at the primary school level. At the junior secondary school level, computer education was made a pre-vocational elective, and is a vocational elective at the senior secondary level.
The purpose of Internet access in schools is to raise educational standards and support the professional work of staff. Access to the Internet is not just a necessary tool for teachers but also an entitlement for students. As part of the annual staff volunteerism activities which is the critical component of the 21 Days of Y’ello Care initiative, MTN staff visited over 100 schools presenting computers that are equipped with Education Bundle, specially designed to make learning fun and a most rewarding experience for students.
The computers come pre-loaded with rich educational content designed for students from nursery to senior secondary, to enable them learn and explore the world through the internet; study maths using more graphical examples, enhance the study of English language and science subjects, explore the world with the rich Encyclopedia Britannica alongside educative games and other learning tools. The pre-loaded computers are also considered great aids for teachers as they would no longer have to teach in the abstract as ready examples in clear and easy-to-understand graphics are made available.
The Economic Commission for Africa has indicated that the ability to access and use information is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for development. Unfortunately, many developing counties, especially in Africa, are still low in ICT application and use. Computers with internet access will help to plug this gap.
Pre-school, elementary, secondary and vocational schools are regarded as the building blocks of society’s education system, a situation that makes it imperative for such areas to be given greater attention. In 1999, the Federal Government introduced the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme aimed at providing access to quality basic education throughout Nigeria. The programme is expected to provide free and compulsory uninterrupted nine years of Primary and Junior Secondary School education to children between the ages of seven to 17 throughout the country.
Adequate and quality education is essentially important for students at the elementary and secondary levels as it will help to imbue in the students a high level of scholarly drive preparatory to going for further studies. Tertiary institutions will consequently be populated by people who are at least prepared to face the rigours of university education. Unique initiatives such as investments in ICT facilities in primary and secondary education will go a long way in preparing the students for higher education.
Each school visited by staff of MTN became beneficiaries of computers equipped with internet access and educational content, which will hopefully lead to a more conducive and engaging learning environment for thousands of students who otherwise would not have had access to the internet.
Projectors and white boards were also donated to schools to enable teachers bring subjects to life in the classrooms. Digitally-equipped classrooms were set up and an online learning hub called Y’ello Tutor was made available to the schools. It is now accessible to thousands of students across the country. The Y’ello Tutor portal has various e-learning materials and digital tutorials which have been aggregated for the benefit of both teachers and pupils.
Established in 2007, 21 Days of Y’ello Care is a platform for MTN employees to directly contribute to improving the quality of life in the communities where they live and work. The annual 21-day long staff volunteerism campaign involves every employee of the company partaking in community-building projects nationwide.
This year, the focus was on education with the theme, Education in the Digital World.This year’s edition saw staff of MTN Nigeria engage in a number of activities aimed at promoting an environment conducive for learning as well as draw attention to the fundamental role of education in the development of the nation. Reiterating MTN Nigeria’s commitment to giving back to communities in which it operates, Corporate Services Executive, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, described education as a vital tool for social and economic development.
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