Experts Task Schools To Integrate AI Into Curriculum

Experts in education have called for the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies into school curricula to prepare Nigerian students for the future.

They made this call at a three-day immersive teachers’ training programme organised by the Miraisha Foundation, in partnership with Glisten International Academy, Abuja, and powered by Gees Consult.
The training brought together teachers and educators from private schools and the health sector across Enugu, Katsina, Niger states and the FCT, making it a diverse and impactful gathering of stakeholders shaping Nigeria’s educational future.

Speaking, the acting director general of Miraisha Foundation, Mr Bilyaminu Yunusa, described the programme as a gateway into the future of education. He emphasised that teachers remain the frontline drivers of innovation and nation-building, stressing the importance of equipping them with the right tools for Nigeria’s educational transformation.

For her part, Hajiya Samira Jibir, the chief executive of Glisten International Academy and national president of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), congratulated the organisers and participants and urged them to cascade the knowledge gained to their respective states and institutions.

She called for the establishment of state-level action committees to sustain the long-term impact of the training.

The executive director of Glisten International Academy, Abuja, Engr. Abba Saidu also spoke, emphasising the urgent need for schools to integrate AI and other emerging technologies into their curriculum.

He noted that this is critical to building students’ capacity for the demands of a technology-driven future. “So, the aim is to touch on areas that we felt are really needed in our country, Nigeria, Africa, and the world in general.

“In areas in the field of how you can deploy AI, having to do with AI policy, use the internet, education, drones, other systems as well, farming, innovation, how to be creative in our schools, and various other systems.

“I think that’s just the basis that we take this whole concept and start working on, so that we can upskill the teachers’ view and knowledge on how to really teach our students and all that.”

The three-day training featured a wide range of 21st-century learning modules, including robotics education, integrating AI in teaching and learning, drone technology education, computational thinking, solar system education, computer programming, content development, and video animation.

It also doubled as preparation for the Annual VEX Robotics World Championship, equipping teachers with the skills to mentor students for global competitiveness.

At the close of the event yesterday, the organisers expressed appreciation to Prof. Ndubueze Mbah, Enugu State Commissioner of Education; Hajiya Zainab Musawa, Katsina State Commissioner of Education; Hajiya Maimuna Mohammed, Niger State director general of Education and School Reforms; the FCT Education Secretariat; as well as school directors and proprietors who nominated participants for this transformative training.

A participant, Mas’ud Sulaiman, from AD Technical Katsina under the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Katsina, appreciated the organisers, saying they had learnt a lot, especially about cybersecurity and robotics.