Senior UBEC Nigeria team visit sQuid for iMukoko education project
Projects Director and Board representative attend two-day forum on boosting Nigeria’s digital future
Senator Abubakar Sadiq Yaradua and Mr Umar Iro, UBEC Board representative and Projects Director respectively, visited the London headquarters of sQuidcard Ltd for cutting-edge conversations focussed on how digital technology will be able to transform Nigerian Basic Education. They were accompanied by sQuid Nigeria Managing Director Umar Abdullahi and Project Director Mobolaji Usman.
The two-day EdTech Forum was hosted by sQuid, whose ground-breaking projects around the world include pioneering education technology programmes and large scale cashless payment distribution helping marginalised communities to improve children’s education and family livelihoods. Projects have run successfully in Somalia and Kenya – and sQuid will soon provide a real-time attendance monitoring platform for students in schools in five Nigerian states together with an online learning portal to help improve education outcomes.
Forum special guests Mr Iro and Senator Yaradua met with private-sector experts in educational technology and connectivity, to consider future improvements in teaching, training and learning through available smartphone technologies; and how to think differently, to use technology to create nothing less than excellence in teaching and learning.
sQuid colleagues from their award-winning Kenyan programmes, and project managers of the recently-signed Nigerian “test-bed” programme – called sQuid-iMukoko – focused on the significant benefits brought by digital implementation of large-scale Attendance Monitoring; delivering ‘always-on’ access; distance learning; plus scholarship management and parental payment systems.
Adam Smith, CEO sQuidcard Ltd, explained:
“Our new project working with Nigerian schools will help build a better future for thousands of children in over 100 communities. Digital tools combined with on-the-ground support will increase engagement in education in often very difficult situations. This Forum has offered an invaluable opportunity to share visions on how UBEC’s mission can benefit from technology and how the government can strengthen Nigeria’s education system to be a bedrock for the country’s future.”
Senator Yaradua, board representative of UBEC, commented:
“Nigeria is addressing the enormous challenge of how we educate a fast-growing population. We recognise the need to embrace proven technology solutions to deliver effective education tools to help our teachers and learners. sQuid’s digital platform is proven, and the team has pragmatic experience in Africa. We embrace and welcome partnerships with organisations that bring real, proven solutions and are able to work with us to adapt them to our needs. It is most appreciated to be able to spend two days being shown the new parameters of education, with the uptake of cutting-edge technologies and sQuid’s ambition. Both boys and girls, teachers and whole communities will all benefit greatly – creating a stronger and more sustainable future for all.”
Umar Iro, the Projects Director for UBEC, added:
“The crisis in education caused by COVID-19 has shown the vital importance of ensuring schools can benefit from the most up-to-date technologies. Whether it’s an attendance register, or teacher training, or payment systems, sQuid’s EdTech will be of great benefit to thousands.”
Umar Abdullahi summed up:
“We are committed to partnering with key stakeholders to improve education and learning outcomes for our teeming school population using the sQuid technology and platform.”
