Airtel pushes for educational reform with tech

Telecom operator Airtel Nigeria has proposed a comprehensive education reform plan that will leverage advanced technologies to transform the country’s decaying educational system.

The Director of Corporate Communications and CSR at Airtel Nigeria, Femi Adeniran, made this disclosure at the recent ‘1 Million Teachers’ Blackbelt graduation ceremony in Lagos.

The event, co-sponsored by Airtel Nigeria, featured a panel discussion on “Leveraging Expertise and Innovations for Advancing Educational Reforms in Africa”.

It featured panellists including a faculty member at St. Lawrence College, Canada, Patrick Egbunonu; Country Head at HP Nigeria, Emmanuel Asika; and Project Director at the Seed Care and Support Foundation, Olanrewaju Oniyitan.

Adeniran emphasised quality delivery as the key ingredient for effective school marketing in the digital age.

“Schools face restrictions on using children for advertising and publicity, making the institution rely on word-of-mouth to communicate achievements. On this note, schools must implement impactful programmes that connect with their community.”

“Direct and open communication platforms such as Parent-Teacher Association meetings keep parents informed of your strategies to help you spread them to your community,” he expounded.

He also highlighted the importance of social media engagement, saying, “Continuous engagement with stakeholders on social media such as Instagram and LinkedIn would also play a vital role in enhancing the image of educational institutions.”

Adeniran reaffirmed Airtel’s commitment to education, citing its $57m partnership with UNICEF, which had connected 960 public schools to digital education, benefiting over 600,000 students.

“By the end of year one, over 600,000 students were already learning through the Learning Passport. Now, we have 960 public schools connected to digital education through the Airtel-UNICEF partnership,” he noted.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Basic Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, commended organisations that had approached the government to partner with and support education over time.

He also charged teachers to hold their occupation jealously and be prepared for more technological advancement to enable them to stay ahead of their students.