Dipo Olowookere
Over 2,000 teachers in Edo State were recently given the communication and collaboration tool of Facebook called Workplace. This was made possible by the partnership between the American tech giant and the state government.
This was a first for Facebook in Nigeria and was part of its ongoing commitment to building community and improving connectivity through its Workplace for Good programme.
The communication platform transforms teams and organisations into connected, empowered and purposeful communities and uses familiar features like Live, video calling, chat, Feed and Safety Check to connect everyone and turn ideas into action.
Building on its Infrastructure and Connectivity projects and aiming to bring further connectivity to schools within the area, Facebook also partnered with MainOne and Tizeti to provide fast, affordable, and reliable Internet through Facebook’s Express Wi-Fi programme.
The programme, which started early in 2019, now provides free teacher connectivity to four schools within Edo State, with Facebook providing assistance from education Technology Support partner re: Learn to the Edo State Universal Board of Education (SUBEB).
To further support the tech ecosystem, Facebook also invested in a meeting space in the South-South Innovation Hub for teacher training and local developer meet ups.
Commenting on the project and partnership, Facebook’s Head of Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Ms Adaora Ikenze, said, “We’re proud to be pioneering a first for Facebook in Nigeria, and across Africa.
“This partnership with Edo State government is a perfect example of how technology can positively impact education not only for students, but teachers alike.
“According to the Edo Basic Education Transformation Sector (Edo-BEST), 1 in 5 teachers don’t receive relevant training to improve learning outcomes in their classrooms. That’s why partnerships like this are critical in impacting positive change in classrooms.”
Director of Education Partnerships, at Facebook, Adam Seldow, added that, “It’s impressive to see the number of partners who have come together to help drive impact for this programme in Edo State – including the Edo State government, our education partners re:Learn, and our infrastructure and connectivity partners MainOne and Tizeti.
“We look forward to continuing our work in adding value to education in Edo State, with an additional 8,000 primary school teachers who will be added to this programme throughout 2020, but also further afield across Nigeria and Africa.”
Due to its current success, the Edo State Government has committed additional budget to connect 100 new schools in Edo State by leveraging the fibre investments and Express Wi-Fi, ensuring that over 15,000 students and teachers will have continued internet access.
Speaking about the partnership, Chairperson of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board, Ms Joan Osa Oviawe, stated that, “The support from Facebook will assist the state government in preparing pupils in Edo State to compete with their contemporaries not only in Nigeria, but across Africa.
“We have to prepare the Edo child for a competitive world; a world without boundaries where they can build valuable skills for the future, and the use of technology and internet access is an important part.”
Commenting on the impact of the programme to the local community and the digital ecosystem in the state, MainOne CEO, Ms Funke Opeke, said, “We commend the Government of Edo State for the commitment to empowering the next generation of digitally enabled youth and their teachers to transform education in their state.
“MainOne is committed to bridging the digital divide across Nigeria through continued investment in infrastructure that contributes to the growth of our local economies.”
