To commemorate the International Day of Education, Bramble Network and some other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) recently celebrated the occasion across three states in Nigeria.
The International Day of Education was organised by Bramble Network with the aim of converging various education stakeholders and holding a dialogue on UNESCO’s theme of the day: ‘Artificial Intelligence and Education; Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation’.
The events featured keynote speeches, panel discussions from seasoned education actors and a training workshop.
In Ibadan, Oyo State on January 24, 2025, founder and Executive Director of Bramble Network, Odunayo Aliu, in an opening address, encouraged the participants to pay close attention to the training and also network.
The keynote speaker, Dr. I.A. Olasunkanmi advised the stakeholders to embrace the enhancement AI is bringing into education and also make conscious effort to make use of the 4 C’s in education in this 21st century which are Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication and Collaboration.
A panel discussion on the theme of the day was held, featuring esteemed panelists, including Dr. Ben Odiase, the E-tutor Supervisor, Distance Learning Center, University of Ibadan; Mrs. Bukola Adeleke, the founder of WeTeach innovation Hub; Mr. Opeyemi Okunade, the Lead Administrator at Bramble Network; Mrs. Ewaoluwa, the Executive Director of MAYEIN and Mr. Raphael Stephen, the founder of FAME Foundation.
The highlight of the panel discussion was that Artificial Intelligence has come to stay and to ensure that learning remains creative and fun in the classroom and to maintain the human connection in schools, teachers need to develop themselves in what is called SEL; Social Emotional Learning.
School owners should invest in training their teachers and help them improve their creativity. While asked if an individual can provide the resources needed to enhance education in Nigeria, one of the panelists, Mrs. Bukola emphasised that even though an individual can not do it alone without the help of the government, there is still a need for each person to take responsibility. Mrs. Ewaoluwa mentioned that schools should also be receptive to these advancements by providing the skills and expertise needed for teachers to make effective use of the resources available.
In Ondo town, Mr. Oluwole Caleb, a Cybersecurity Analyst emphasised that AI has come to stay and that it will continue to define the future. People need to stop seeing AI as a threat but see it as a leverage to make work life better. Isaac Olakunle, another panelist, further affirmed that the future of Education and Educators is not in delivering the ‘boring’ tasks that can be delegated to AI but that the learning process is delivered in love and empathy to bring learners to a place of discussion and solving problems.
During the discussion in Ekiti State, one of the panelists, Mr. Olusegun mentioned that “AI can support teachers but never replace them. It’s about collaboration, not competition.”
The participants also engaged in a workshop session focused on edtech tools to enhance teaching and learning in low cost schools, led by Mr. Gideon Oladunjoye, an experienced facilitator.
The event successfully achieved its objectives of bringing balance to AI and education in this 21st century. The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing appreciation for the valuable insights and opportunities for networking.
Odunayo in her closing remark extends gratitude to the state hosts in Ondo and Ekiti states, Mr. Adetomiwa Odunlade and Janet Isesele respectively for their support and opportunity to host the dialogue in their various states and to all the volunteers who contributed to the smooth execution of the events
The International Day of Education was a resounding success as Bramble Network look forward to organising similar events in the future, particularly aligning with its commitment to improving the quality of education across Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
