Abuja: No fewer than three million children have benefitted from the multimedia digital education initiative of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Executive Secretary, UBEC, Aisha Garba, disclosed this at the closing ceremony of KOICA Education Project in Nigeria.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Garba mentioned that 420,009 library materials and 158,000 Nigerian history books had been distributed through the initiative which began in 2021. The project was designed to address critical gaps in Nigeria’s education system, significantly redefining the landscape of basic education in the country through technology, innovative teaching, and inclusive learning.
The initiative aims to tackle the challenges of over 10 million out-of-school children and the lack of digital literacy among more than 60 percent of public primary school teachers. Under the collaboration, UBEC and KOICA developed Nigeria’s first Smart Education Master Plan and trained over 300 teachers and school leaders.
The collaboration also established six state-of-the-art content development studios and produced nearly 4,000 digital learning resources in Mathematics and Science. Garba recalled that when the project began in 2021, they faced sobering realities, with over 10.1 million school-age children out-of-school and 70 percent of those enrolled lacking foundational learning skills.
Garba emphasized the project’s potential, stating, ‘With the staggering figure and daunting statistics, we saw not just problems, but possibilities. We saw possibilities to reimagine learning, bridge the digital divide, and empower our schools and teachers to become catalysts for lasting transformation.’
KOICA’s support extended to six of UBEC’s 37 Universal Basic Education Model Smart Schools, though the impact has reached over 8,000 learners in 21 states. Garba also noted recent UBEC reforms that have unlocked access to matching grants for states, enabling more efficient and transparent resource deployment.
The Executive Secretary expressed deep gratitude to KOICA and the Government of the Republic of Korea, affirming UBEC’s commitment to expanding the initiative and ensuring that ‘no child is left behind.’ She envisioned a basic education system that is smart, inclusive, and globally competitive, one that builds future-ready citizens.
Earlier, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, described the initiative as a model for international cooperation and shared prosperity. Bagudu praised the KOICA initiative for its investment in Nigeria’s basic education, acknowledging that the collaboration had already begun yielding visible results.
The event was attended by top government officials, foreign diplomats, education stakeholders, teachers, and students.