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Lagos empowers 120,000 public school pupils with digital skills

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l-R: Wahab Alawiye-King, Tokunbo Wahab and Folashade Adefisayo during the briefing

Lagos State Government has disclosed that 120,000 public primary and secondary schools pupils/students across its Six Educational  Districts have been empowered with basic computer skills  under its Digital Skills Initiative (DSI).

The students/ pupils were trained in the areas of Basic Computer Skills, Coding Skills, Scratch, Cloud Service   and World Wide Web, Internet Technology, Interactive and Visualized Coding to prepare them ahead of the global information technology requirement

Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Education, Tokunbo Wahab made this disclosure on Friday at a Ministerial Press Briefing at Alausa , Ikeja Lagos  as  part of the activities commemorating  the 2nd year anniversary of Governor Babajide  Sanwo-Olu ‘s administration  in the State.

Wahab explained further that Digital Skills Initiative (DSI),  which was  implemented in collaboration with Advent Management Solutions with its delivery partners – LoftyInc Allied Partners Limited and Scholarx,  was aimed at empowering youths and young students in Lagos primary and secondary schools by equipping them with knowledge, skills, and know-how that would enable  them to thrive in the technology space in a couple of years’ time and compete in the future Job Market with digital skills like their counterparts from  any part of the world.

While noting that Digital Skills Initiative is in tandem with the State Government vision for Education and Technology,   which is the 3rd Pillar  of the T.H.E.M.E.S  development agenda of Governor Babjide Olusola Sanwo Olu administration in the State.

‘’Digital Skills Initiative  is a program that aimed  at providing  opportunities for pupils of the state of Lagos to learn coding skills, basic computer skills, introduction to the World Wide Web and internet technology so as to develop their  digital skill and prepare them for the 21st century  global information technology challenges,  Eko Digital Skills is one of our own way of achieving Education and Technology part of the six Pillars Development Agenda of Governor Sanwo-Olu administration and  Mr. Governor is very passionate about this project and had committed huge resources  into it to make sure that students from our public schools are not lagging behind in the use of modern technology,’’  he stated

In addition to this, the Special Adviser  disclosed that the success recorded in the Digital Skills Lagos  has encouraged the   State Government  to  commence  the Phase two of the  Digital Skills Initiative which aimed at empowering Youths and young students of Lagos state that are out of  primary and secondary schools but  yet to obtain a higher level of education  either in  a vocational training institute or tertiary institutions.

The Phase 2 of the Digital Skills Initiative, Wahab noted has been helpful in capturing numerous out of school young population into a training and education curriculum, designed to equip them with knowledge, skills, and know-how that would enable them to thrive in the technology space and entrepreneurship skills needed for self reliance.

He added that a total of  25,000  have so far benefited from different ICT training  programmes under the Phase 2 of the scheme.

He said they were trained in different areas of ICT knowledge including;  Computer networking, Coding, Computing and Advance worldwide Web, internet technology skills such as cloud computing and virtualization, among others.

Many of the beneficiaries of this particular initiative, the Special Adviser explained, were  at present self-employed and employers of labour.

“They have been using their acquired knowledge in basic computer programming to develop soft ware and computer applications that provided them with means of livelihood,” he said.

While acknowledging the fact that challenges in education is enormous, Wahab  explained that the State Government has been proactive in taking  a holistic approach towards bringing a total reform  that would  address various challenges and make the  sector rank among the best anywhere in the world

Apart from exploring technology to the fullest in the State School curriculum, the Special Adviser disclosed that the State Government had embarked upon full rehabilitation, rebranding and digitalization of the public school s libraries to compliment classroom teaching and learning, while students’ capacity is built in the application of technology for learning.

He disclose that a total of one hundred and seven public schools libraries  have  so far being  upgraded and equipped with ICT facilities  in the last one year , while two Divisional libraries in Epe and Badagry were renovated and fully  equipped with  relevant textbooks  and ICT facilities to the best standard to encourage reading  and healthy competition among  the populace.

‘’Lagos State Government renovated and upgraded  a total  of 107 Libraries and ICT centers in public secondary schools to the best standard across the sixEducational  Districts of the State, while two Divisional libraries in Epe and Badagry  have been upgraded to encourage reading among the populace.  Work has also commenced on other Divisional libraries in line with the State Government vision for mass literacy for general development’’ Wahab explained

The Special Adviser who noted that the State Government huge investments in Education to reform the sector is yielding positive result with the outstanding performance of the public school students in external examinations and improved performances of their senior colleagues in various tertiary institutions owned by the State  Government.

The Special Adviser who noted the ranking of the Lagos State University as the Second best University in Nigeria and one of the best six hundred institutions  across the world  by the Times Higher Education Ranking  for the Year 2020 and 2021 was an indication that the State Government’s efforts at making the Educational system of the State a model for the country and West African sub Region is a reality.

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