Vice President Kashim Shettima has signalled plans to deepen the digital transformation of Nigeria's basic education sector, proposing the adoption of the ProFuturo digital learning model across the country after the initiative recorded significant gains in schools nationwide.
The Vice President said the Federal Government would explore ways of leveraging the platform to digitise State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), describing the programme as a practical complement to President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda and the administration's push for skills-based education.
Shettima spoke on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while receiving a delegation from the Kukah Centre and the ProFuturo Foundation led by Bishop Matthew Kukah.
The move comes as the digital education initiative, launched in Nigeria in 2017, has so far impacted over 72,000 students, trained 1,150 teachers and reached 123 schools across 13 states.
Impressed by the programme's achievements, the Vice President said its success demonstrated the potential of technology-driven learning in addressing educational deficits and preparing Nigerian children for a rapidly evolving global economy.
He, however, noted that Nigeria's growing population and the pressure on available resources make it imperative to scale up interventions capable of expanding access to quality education.
To accelerate the initiative's reach, Shettima proposed closer collaboration between the programme's implementers and critical government agencies, including the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), the Federal Ministry of Education and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
According to him, stronger institutional partnerships would encourage the exchange of ideas and help develop sustainable solutions to challenges affecting school enrolment and learning outcomes in different parts of the country.
The Vice President also disclosed plans to introduce the initiative to the National Economic Council (NEC) as part of broader efforts to drive digital innovation in Nigeria's education sector.
Earlier, Bishop Kukah said the visit was aimed at expressing support for the Tinubu administration's commitment to educational development through technology.
He described Shettima's backing of digital learning as evidence of the leadership required to position Nigeria for competitiveness in an increasingly technology-driven world.
Also speaking, Deputy Director to the President of the ProFuturo Foundation, Albert Martinez, attributed the programme's achievements in Nigeria to strong local partnerships and sustained government support.
Martinez said the initiative had continued to evolve through constant adaptation and collaboration among stakeholders, enabling it to expand its impact over the years.
Providing an overview of the programme, Project Coordinator, Dr Emmanuel Nkanta, said the foundation's intervention had reached thousands of learners and educators across the country but would require increased funding and broader partnerships to achieve greater national coverage.
Among those present at the meeting were the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu; Head of Global Operations of the ProFuturo Foundation, Tomas Mensi; and UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba.
