By Blessing Otobong-Gabriel
Korea International Cooperation Agency, KOICA, through the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nigeria, Kim Pan-kyu, handed over 1,662 educational digital contents to the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi.
The ceremony, which took place at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Abuja, marks a significant milestone in the Smart Education project, a collaborative initiative between KOICA and UBEC that began in 2021.
Pan-kyu informed that the project has received generous support from the Korean government, with a substantial grant of $10.4 million aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s basic education through smart technologies.
According to him, “The digital contents that are targeted at Primary 4-6 pupils and Junior Secondary School, JSS, 1 students, focuses on mathematics and science subjects to help improve teaching and learning outcome in the classrooms, as well as increase pupils/students interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, STEM, subjects.
“Educational digital contents are expected to be disseminated across the 37 smart schools and other public schools in Nigeria.”
Speaking at the handover ceremony, the ambassador stated that “This ceremony represents our shared commitment to quality education in Nigeria and a step forward in strengthening our bilateral cooperation, as we celebrate the enduring partnership between our two nations, exemplified by the remarkable collaboration between KOICA and UBEC.”
Prior to the handover of the digital contents to UBEC, KOICA has already installed modern Content Development Studios, CDS, with state-of-the-art equipment for producing digital contents in the school. The CDS are found in KOICA-supported smart schools namely: Kano, Cross River, Bauchi, Ekiti, Nasarawa and FCT.
Responding, Bobboyi thanked the Korean ambassador for his government’s support in improving basic education in Nigeria through smart technologies.
“I remember we were at the Korean Embassy three years ago when we signed the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, for the Smart Education Project in Nigeria with the Korean government. Since then, we have worked closely with Korean experts in the implementations of the smart education project, and so far, we have achieved a lot together in improving basic education in Nigeria.
“Series of capacity building was provided to teachers and school principals on how to record, edit and develop digital contents for classroom teaching using the CDS installed in their schools.”
