Education
COVID-19, Educators, Students and Post-COVID Reflections
By Ibironke Olurotimi
When the news of Nigeria’s first confirmed COVID-19 case dropped that morning in Late February, none of us was prepared for what lay ahead. We all thought we’d beat this just like we did with Ebola.
Faith-filled Nigerians continued to post things like “this too shall pass” on their WhatsApp statuses and other platforms. Here we are 60 days after and we can only hope we get out of this as fast as we can so we can gather the ruins of our broken economy and systems and begin building our “new normal” as a lot of thought leaders have postulated.
The government closed all schools in a bid to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and keep our children and all schools staff safe. This nationwide closure has affected our education system in no small measure and we have to deal with the effects of these on teaching and learning. The government has put in a lot of effort in responding to this sudden transition because children have had to learn from their homes.
Some of the interventions put in place by the government is the education and TV radio which has a wide reach and helps to close the inequality gap that has been suddenly created by the school closures. There is also digital content made available on portals hosted by the government to serve children who have access to the internet. Private organisations are also providing solutions at almost rock bottom prices and some absolutely free just to ensure that the learning of our children does not stop because education cannot wait. Some are partnering with the government to make content available online with no attendant data charges.
Sadly, some children will fall back because their learning was placed on hold, due to several factors ranging from loss of parents, poor and illiterate parents etc. Some will not be able to come back to school thereby increasing the number of out-of-school children which stands at 13.5 million nationally, a menace we all are collectively working to reduce and ultimately eradicate. All of these being said, the pandemic will come to an end at some point and we would be left with the after effects to deal with, how will we respond as education practitioners???
Post COVID-19, teachers will have little time to get their students up to speed and the might live with the pressure to ensure their children are open to learning again, putting into consideration that no child must be left behind.
Now more than ever before, teachers must begin to look at strategies, skills and practices that will help deal with the effects of COVID-19 and successfully get themselves prepared for times like these. I would outline a few things that education practitioners can begin to reflect on:
Flexibility in teaching: We cannot afford to go back to business as usual. Teachers will have to develop the ability to use:
- Data to inform teaching methods and strategies: Relying on using data generated from the classroom to inform the teaching strategy that would be employed. Simple assessments can be used to ascertain the levels of the children and then tailor their teaching to meet their needs. Teachers must always assess the impact of their learning strategies and be adept in not just gathering but cleaning and interpreting data.
- Digitised learning materials and digital skills: The internet houses a lot of innovations that can help teachers improve their teaching methods and strategies. We cannot shy away from the fact that the future is tech and a lot of learning in the days to come will be driven by technology. Teachers can also begin to introduce technology to drive learning in their classrooms, going from simple to complex. (Thisis very critical for those who are just easing into the digital world)
- Teach 21st century skills within their class: Using different teaching methods that embed this skill and measure the impact of these methods with relevant assessments. (Public education practitioners get in here!)
Differentiation: It would be important to note that we can’t return to business as usual. Children must now be taught at their levels. The one size fits all approach that might have been used in the past will not work ( It has actually never worked). Teachers must develop the ability to develop differentiated instruction. To create instructions that would meet each child at their level, teachers must:
- Develop empathy
- Understand that differentiated instruction is a blend of whole-class, group, and individual instruction,
- Plan : Be proactive in planning for their classes and putting all learners into consideration,
- Manage their classroom more effectively now more than ever before so that no one is lost in the cracks.
- The government and education planning bodies (MoE) must also support the teachers with resources and the required support for teaching and learning that would enable them carry out their activities effectively.
Planning: “He who fails to plan, plans to fail”
To remain ahead and relevant in times like these teachers can stay ahead by being:
- Informed: staying ahead by reading and studying about teaching and learning around the continent and in the global scene. Those who are able to think ahead and plan are those who will stay relevant.
- Critical thinkers: Those who are open-minded are quick to learn, unlearn and relearn
- Need peer support in communities for example teacher communities like The executive teacher, TTNF, school linkers etc.
- Prepared for eventualities like COVID-19 or worst-case scenarios; by producing resources e.g. Key points and study packs for emergencies especially those preparing for transition examinations like WAEC, UTME
Educators should also develop good relationships with parents so that collaboration with the parents can help learning continue at home. This is particularly important as a lot of parents are clamouring for support on how they can keep engaging the children this period.
Ibironke Olurotimi is an Amani Fellow and a 2018 New York Academy of Science STEM Mentor. She is a social innovator who works at the intersection of Social development and Education. She is based in Lagos, Nigeria.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has granted another extension for its Student Loan Application Portal to accommodate institutions that requested additional time for the 2025/2026 academic session.
According to the statement signed by NELFUND’s Director of Strategic Communications, Ms Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, on Thursday, the extension applies only to institutions that submitted formal requests, allowing eligible students extra time to complete their applications.
“The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has approved an extension of its Student Loan Application Portal for institutions that have formally requested additional time for the 2025/2026 academic session,” the statement read.
Business Post reports that at the beginning of March, NELFUND announced an extension to the deadline by a week for its student loan application portal following a notable rise in nationwide interest driven by ongoing awareness campaigns.
Speaking on the development, NELFUND Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, reiterated the Fund’s commitment to ensuring that eligible students at participating institutions can access the student loan programme.
“NELFUND remains committed to ensuring that eligible students across participating institutions have the opportunity to access the student loan programme,” he said.
The Fund urges students in affected institutions to take advantage of the extension and submit their applications through the official portal.
It also emphasised its dedication to transparency, accountability, and providing sustainable financing solutions to remove financial barriers to higher education in Nigeria.
Established to administer the Nigeria Student Loan Scheme, NELFUND was enacted into law by President Bola Tinubu in April 2024.
The initiative provides interest-free loans to students in public tertiary institutions to cover tuition and living expenses.
Beneficiaries are required to repay the loans after completing their education and securing employment, aiming to increase access to higher education for students from low-income backgrounds.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has inaugurated a Curriculum Review Committee aimed at strengthening taxation education in Nigerian academic institutions and improving the country’s tax administration system.
According to a statement, the committee was inaugurated on February 24, at the NRS Academy in Durumi as part of the agency’s broader efforts to modernise tax education and align academic training with the evolving demands of contemporary tax administration.
Speaking during the inauguration, the Director of the NRS Academy, Mr Adeolu Akinyemi, said the review exercise would involve collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) to develop a more structured and relevant curriculum for the academy.
He emphasised that the initiative seeks to ensure that taxation programmes taught in Nigerian institutions reflect current developments in tax policy and practice, while also equipping students with the practical knowledge required in today’s tax administration environment.
The committee has been tasked with examining existing taxation curricula across Nigerian institutions and proposing updates that incorporate modern tax policies, recent legislative changes, and emerging areas such as digital taxation and global tax practices.
Officials say the review is also designed to close the gap between theoretical classroom instruction and the practical realities of tax administration.
By strengthening the link between academic learning and professional practice, the revised curriculum is expected to better prepare graduates for careers in the tax sector.
The effort is further expected to enhance tax awareness among citizens, encourage voluntary tax compliance, and support the development of skilled tax professionals who can contribute to national revenue generation and economic growth.
The committee is chaired by Mrs Aisha Hamman Mahmoud, Special Adviser to the Executive Chairman of the NRS on Research and Statistics. Its membership includes representatives from the service as well as academic experts in taxation and fiscal policy, alongside professionals with experience in tax administration, policy formulation, and tax education.
The committee will work with relevant educational regulatory agencies and professional bodies to ensure that the proposed curriculum aligns with national academic standards while addressing the practical needs of Nigeria’s tax system.
The NRS stated that the initiative forms part of its ongoing commitment to expanding tax knowledge, strengthening professional capacity, and promoting responsible tax practices across the country.
The curriculum review exercise is expected to be completed within 60 days, after which the Service plans to provide further updates on the implementation of the revised programme.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The first batch of Nigerian undergraduates to enjoy fully paid scholarships for studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses across the continent has been chosen by Airtel Africa Foundation.
Business Post gathered that 70 students from universities across Nigeria were selected from thousands of applicants through an independently managed process, which took nearly six months.
It was learned that most of the undergraduates were from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), the University of Ilorin, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU Zaria), and the University of Nigeria (UNN).
The scholarship covers tuition, laptop computers, living expenses, and essential learning resources, a statement from Airtel Africa Foundation disclosed.
The chairman of the foundation, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, speaking at the presentation of the scholarships to the beneficiaries at the Lagos headquarters of Airtel Nigeria, emphasised the need for initiatives such as the Airtel Africa Foundation’s undergraduate tech scholarship for the future of the continent.
“True legacy is not measured by the awards we win or the volume of SIM cards we sell; it is measured by the lives we save, the people we feed, and the students we support when the line between success and failure is at its thinnest.
“At the Airtel Africa Foundation, we believe that lifting people out of poverty is the ultimate benchmark of a great company. Today, we are writing that legacy by tilting the balance in favour of the brilliant but underserved, ensuring that the fourth industrial revolution, driven by AI and Data Science, is built by African talent for the African continent,” he stated.
Mr Ogunsanya further revealed that this fellowship, executed through Airtel Nigeria, is designed to bridge the gap where funding, skills, and opportunity often fail to meet.
In addition to the N500,000 yearly budget for the fellows’ four-year or five-year courses, each fellow would be integrated into a structured support system for academic guidance and career mentorship, intended to ultimately transition students from the classroom to the global tech workforce.
Addressing the students, the chief executive of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, stressed that youth development is a strategic imperative for Airtel.
“At Airtel Nigeria, we view youth development as essential nation-building. When young people succeed, innovation accelerates, and social stability improves.
“By connecting these brilliant scholars to knowledge, skills, and confidence, we are fulfilling our core mission to connect people to opportunity. To our recipients: you earned your place here through merit and discipline. You are now ambassadors of excellence, and we expect your leadership to be defined by your conduct as you help shape a more inclusive digital future for Nigeria,” the Airtel Nigeria chief said.
The Nigerian cohort joins a prestigious network of Airtel Africa Foundation fellows currently studying in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and India.
The initiative underscores a broader commitment to technology education, youth development, and Nigeria’s digital economy.
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