UBEC Assesses Niger’s Preparation For Smart Schools

Executive secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobboyi, has expressed the readiness of the agency to assist state governments in transforming their schools into smart institutions in line with the demands of 21st Century education.

In a statement yesterday, the head of public relations and protocol of UBEC, Mr David Apeh, said Bobboyi gave the assurance when he visited Science Model Primary School, Chaza, Suleja, one of five science model schools which the Niger State government has decided to convert into smart schools.

The chairman, Niger State Universal Basic Education Commission, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim, said the state government took the decision in view of its desire to upgrade its schools to world-class standards and ensure that its young citizens were getting high quality education that would make them compete on the international scene.

Before the visit of the UBEC boss, a team from the Digital Resource Centre of the commission led by Dr. Hafsat Lawal Kontagora had arrived at Minna to inspect the schools to evaluate their readiness to commence smart education.

The team visited the schools in New Bussa, Suleja, Beri, and Lapai.

Commenting on their findings, Dr Kontagora expressed happiness that many state governments had begun to key into the federal government’s smart schools programme and were beginning to establish their own smart schools in an attempt to offer high quality 21s century education that focused on igniting creativity, innovation, problem solving and critical thinking.

So far, the federal government has established 37 smart schools in different parts of the country (one per state and the FCT), with state-of-the-art equipment and befitting buildings, out of which 14 have already commenced teaching and learning activities.