Vice President Kashim Shettima announced plans to integrate technology into Nigeria’s education system to enhance learning outcomes, inspired by India’s success with KYAN smart class solutions.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has announced that the Federal Government plans to integrate technology into Nigeria’s education system to improve learning outcomes.

During a meeting with the World Bank Nigeria team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Shettima outlined the government’s commitment to addressing human capacity and resource challenges within the education sector.

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Shettima assured that President Bola Tinubu is dedicated to leveraging technological advancements to add value to the country.

He drew inspiration from India’s use of KYAN smart class solutions, which teach 50,000 pupils in rural areas, and expressed confidence that similar innovations could transform Nigeria’s education system.

“The integration of technology will significantly upgrade our education system,” Shettima said. He also stressed the need for a comprehensive education reform plan, including better infrastructure, teacher training, and technological implementation.

Shettima emphasized that the federal government is committed to driving these changes, but success will require the cooperation of all stakeholders, including state governors.

Dr. Ndiame Diop, World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, highlighted the bank’s focus on improving governance, health, and education through its HOPE series projects.

These initiatives aim to reform governance processes, primary healthcare, and education facilities across Nigeria, with an emphasis on human capital development.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund on Friday acknowledged receipt of N50bn from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

In a statement by NELFUND’s Head of Corporate Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, the loan fund said it, “expressed its pleasure as it receives an additional N50 bn from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.”

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Oluwatuyi noted that the release followed the directive of President Bola Tinubu in his speech on August 4, 2024, directing the EFCC to transfer the funds to NELFUND to further boost the student loan programme.

“This significant injection of funds represents a major milestone in the administration’s commitment to bolstering access to education by providing financial support to students across Nigeria,” the statement noted.

The Fund thanked Tinubu for what it described as unwavering dedication to the education sector and his continued efforts to support the most vulnerable segments of the population.

“By deciding to allocate these funds to the student loan scheme, President Tinubu has once again demonstrated his visionary leadership and commitment to fostering a brighter future for Nigerian students and to the socioeconomic advancement of Nigeria,” the Fund said.

It also thanked the management of the EFCC headed by the Chairma, Olanipekun Olukoyede.

The implementation of the student loan scheme is Tinubu’s flagship project in the education sector.

Barely a month after his inauguration as president, Tinubu signed the Access to Higher Education Act, which creates a legal framework for granting loans to indigent or low-income Nigerians to facilitate the payment of their fees in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

The law, reenacted earlier this year, created the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

NELFUND is saddled with the responsibility of handling all loan requests, grants, disbursement, and recovery.

The Fund, according to the act, is to be funded from multiple streams and will engage in other productive activities.

The National Association of Nigerian Students has opposed the proposed electricity tariff of N80,000 per student by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.

The proposed hike is seen as a response to the surging costs of electricity in the country, which universities claim they can no longer afford to cover without passing the burden onto students.

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Recall that Secretary-General of the CVCNU, Professor Yakubu Ochefu, recently revealed that university students might be required to pay as much as N80,000 each to help manage the escalating electricity costs.

Ochefu noted that each universities which was previously charged N61m monthly, was now paying above N200m due to the introduction of the Band A system and the subsequent hike in electricity tariffs.

In April 2024, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission raised the electricity tariff for Band A customers from N68/KWh to N225/KWh, marking a staggering 300 per cent increase.

Band A customers are those who receive electricity for at least 20 hours per day.

Reacting to this development, NANS National President, Lucky Emonefe, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, opposed the idea of transferring the electricity costs to students.

“It is not possible. Nigerian students cannot pay such exorbitant fees. While we understand there has been hike in electricity tariffs, the burden cannot be put on the students,” Emonefe stated.

He emphasised that NANS’ commitment to resisting any attempt to increase electricity tariffs for students across the institutions.

He said, “The electricity tariff hike is one of the issues we are engaging the government on. It is not the fault of the Vice Chancellors, but we agree that the government should remove our institutions from Band A and place them in Band B. No Nigerian student will pay that N80,000; we will reject it.”

The Academic Staff Union of Universities also weighed in on the issue, calling for increased government funding for universities.

ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, stressed that improved funding would enable universities to operate independently and potentially generate their power.

He further elaborated on the need for universities to receive adequate funding to explore self-sufficient energy solutions.

He said, “There are several issues wrong with the system. The funding is poor, and given the current environment, there is no way students can handle such a bill.

“There is no justification for this electricity hike in universities. You cannot charge them at a different rate. By right, everybody should be getting equal electricity, whether you are in Band A or Band B.

“If you fund the universities very well, every university can generate its electricity. If the universities are challenged to do that, we will. But now, universities cannot award contracts without going through the ministries.

“It is so sad because the universities are not allowed to operate on their own. If they are, they can do the necessary research to generate electricity on their own.”

On the other hand, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors has advised universities to adapt to the current realities of increased electricity costs.

The Executive Director of Research & Advocacy at Discos, Sunday Oduntan, stated that reversing the tariff increase was not feasible.

“That is the reality of our time. If the businesses apply it, it is fixed by the regulator and not by the discos using realistic economic realities. If they say we should not consider the cost of production, that means all the businesses will fold up, and there will not be light,” Oduntan explained.