The Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has launched the Centre for Digital Development and Innovation Research (CDDIR) to enhance digital literacy in the country.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Gideon Olanrewaju, AREAi’s executive director, said the hub would bridge the gap in digital literacy through evidence-based research and technological tools.
Olanrewaju said his organisation is working with all the stakeholders including the government to ensure that technology is accepted and used in teaching and learning.
“Students are at the centre of what we are trying to do,” Olanrewaju said.
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“But we will also be working with teachers, parents, and government stakeholders to mainstream the application of technology for teaching and learning.”
“For organisations to design digital tools, it needs to be informed with evidence and research.”
AREAi’s executive director said the digital tools used for learning when COVID-19 forced the world into a lock down have failed because “they lack contextual relevance”.
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Olanrewaju said there is a need to integrate cultural and contextual factors when creating digital tools for learning to ensure long-lasting solutions for education.
He said the hub has the potential to empower students with market-relevant skills to meet global demands.
“Digital-driven services, for example, in food tech, allow young individuals to become gainfully employed with attractive compensation,” Olanrewaju said.
Also speaking, Edidiong Simeon, AREAi’s director of programmes, said the organisation’s goal is to build a “digitally competent society”.
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