Emma Okonji
Telecommunications services provider, Airtel, has partnered the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), under the Re-imagine Education Initiative, designed to connect 620 primary schools in Nigeria to digital learning in the next three months.
The partnership, which was signed in Lagos at the weekend, is expected to benefit 300,000 students across the country with access to the internet and devices.
During the signing of the partnership deal between Airtel and UNICEF, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Surendran Chemmenkotil, said: “Airtel has completed the process of providing free access to the two digital platforms for the targeted beneficiaries. Airtel has committed $1.3 million worth of complimentary data for the two platforms and data provision for learners in the year alone. Twenty schools in Lagos and Kano will be connected in December 2022, while the connection of the remaining 600 schools will be concluded before the end of February 2023, complete with ultra-modern routers tablets and mobile broadband network.”
According to Chemmenkotil, education, especially digital learning, forms a significant part of Airtel’s sustainability agenda for Nigeria and it will stop at nothing to bridge the huge digital gap that currently exists in mostly rural primary schools across the country.
The UNICEF’s Country Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate said: “This is an important milestone and a step closer in reducing the digital divide in Nigeria. Quality digital learning is the fastest route to improving learning and equipping children and young people with the 21″ century skills needed to fulfil their potential and to live their dreams. We are delighted that Airtel Nigeria shares UNICEF’s vision and will help in driving the process to scale-up access to digital learning for children and young people across these schools.”
