Technology
Digital Inclusion: What Does Equal Access to Education Mean in the Digital Age?
By Zohra Yermeche
The COVID-19 crisis and the impact, which it has had on learning across the world, has highlighted many of the digital disparities which exist in today’s world.
At a time when many of the world’s students shifted from physical to digital, we were also faced with the hard truth that today there are still 3.6 billion people in the world who are unconnected.
For students in the connected half of the world, the story is much different. While 1.2 billion children were affected by school closures across much of the world, our recent Consumer COVID-19 report found that students were able to substitute physical learning by spending 230 per cent more time on digital learning tools such as Google Class, Epic! and Seesaw Class.
This of course is a significant rise, but it is also an acceleration of a trend which we have steadily been tracking since our first Connect To Learn program exactly ten years ago.
The State of Broadband 2020 report estimates that there are twice as many people today who use the Internet compared to 2010. This rise in digital literacy, together with the imminent period of rapid digitalization of the economy, means that ensuring fair and equal access to both education and future job markets will rest on the extent of digital inclusion within our societies.
What is digital inclusion and why is it so important today?
Today, technology plays a much bigger role in the quality and scope of how we learn, such as new digital learning platforms which are estimated to reach $350 billion by 2025; what we learn, with a growing emphasis on programming, robotics, AI and automation; and how we can use it in the job market, with digital skillsets increasingly becoming a prerequisite of tomorrow’s workforce.
The changes which are happening today show the disparity between the developed and undeveloped world. If you are not connected, that shows you the leap which you have to make between the connectivity aspect, access to education and benefits which are derived from that.
Closing this digital divide, with those who are not connected or not considered to be digitally literate, is imperative to ensuring a fair distribution of digital opportunities across countries, locations, gender, socioeconomic status, and age.
Access to education in the digital age
In 2010, we co-founded the Connect To Learn initiative with the Earth Institute at Columbia University and Millennium Promise, with a focus on delivering connectivity and ICT tools to enhance teaching and learning in unconnected, underprivileged and largely unrepresented communities.
Since our first projects in the Millennium Villages, we’ve helped to connect and increase the digital inclusion of more than 200,000 students worldwide. As the program has evolved, we have increased our efforts to close the digital divide not just in terms of connectivity, but from a content, syllabus and platform side which is fundamental.
As a technology company, we quickly discovered that we can offer so much more than connectivity, but furthermore can help improve learning processes and methodologies so learning can become more impactful. For example, through partnerships with like-minded organizations, we have helped to digitalize and disseminate content through digital learning tools such as mobile apps.
One of the biggest differences from ten years ago is also that the nature of technology in an educational context, both as a medium and a means to enter the job market was still relatively immature as the landscape has evolved, we’ve come to understand the need to personalize and individualize learning so that we can improve learning outcomes in a meaningful way.
Giving people access to the right type of content is one aspect, another equally critical aspect is the human element. On top of the digital layer, students will still always need the engagement, inspiration and activation that comes from teachers and trainers who know about the topic. I believe that, even in the digital age, technology will never be able to replace this interaction, but rather can serve as an increasingly innovative medium for those critical learner-instructor interactions, such as through the Internet of Skills.
Digital inclusion through public-private partnerships
Today, there is a significant need for digital skills courses. Key technology areas such as AI, robotics and app development are advancing at such a rapid pace, which can make it difficult to ensure an effective transfer of competence to emerging workforces.
Such is the pace of change for topics such as these, public academic institutions will invariably struggle to take learning beyond a basic theoretical level. Public-private partnerships will therefore be key to addressing this, by developing advanced curriculums and delivering the necessary quality and scale of access.
As a sustainability pioneer in the private sector, we’ve understood the power of partnership, which is why we’re investing heavily in building out those partnerships with like-minded entities to create sustainable solutions in order to address the issues which the education sector faces today. A good example of this is the Ericsson Digital Lab program which is now live in several countries in partnership with local schools and community learning centres. The aim here is to share those competences that we have in-house on a much broader scale, addressing those critical skillset demands which are needed in tomorrow’s workforce.
This year, in response to the impact which COVID-19 has had on learning, we continuing these efforts by joining the UNESCO-led Global Education Coalition, launching Ericsson Educate and partnering with UNICEF to map school connectivity as part of the Giga project.
Through digital methodologies, and with a focus on improving digital skills for students across all communities, our commitment is to ensure that future generations continue to have the skills and knowledge to find opportunity in a changing digital world. This was what we set out to do when we launched Connect To Learn ten years ago, and this will continue to be our priority in this next critical decade of action.
Zohra Yermeche is the Program Director for Connect To Learn at Ericsson
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Nigeria’s telecom landscape is about to be abuzz, with the much-anticipated launch of Flexmobile from Hazon Technologies.
Feelers indicate that the company will soon make a commercial debut, as the regulatory approval is now in the final stage.
It was gathered that the commercial rollout for Flexmobile should be June 1, 2026, as this depends on the authorisation of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which regulates the sector. The telco will have the distinctive 081 number series.
Early signals suggest a product ecosystem engineered around flexibility, data-centricity, and user control—an approach aligned with the evolving expectations of Nigeria’s digitally connected population.
For seamless operations, Flexmobile has sealed commercial agreements with its MVNE, IMBIL, and Airtel Nigeria.
“What lies ahead is more than a launch—it is the beginning of a new way to experience telecoms in Nigeria,” the chief executive of Hazon Technologies, Mr Victor ‘Gbenga Afolabi, said at a recent media briefing.
“After years of building the right partnerships and infrastructure, we are approaching a defining milestone. Flexmobile is designed to challenge conventions and introduce a smarter, more flexible telecom experience for Nigerians,” he added.
While full details of its offering will be unveiled at launch, Flexmobile is expected to introduce a suite of value-added services designed to go beyond traditional connectivity—positioning the brand at the intersection of telecoms, lifestyle, and digital enablement.
Backed by strong institutional partnerships and a robust MVNE framework, Flexmobile enters the market not just as another operator, but as a platform with the potential to reshape how telecom services are consumed and experienced.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) company, ipNX Nigeria, is joining forces with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to accelerate broadband penetration and drive inclusive digital growth across the country.
Recently, an executive delegation of the organisation paid a visit to the chairman of the regulatory agency, Mr Idris Olorunimbe.
“We are pleased to engage with the new chairman of the NCC and show our support as he takes on this important role.
“Strong leadership and a clear policy direction are essential to unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s digital economy.
“At ipNX, we remain committed to working closely with the commission and other stakeholders to expand broadband access, enhance connectivity in educational institutions, and ultimately bridge the digital divide.
“This collaboration will empower millions of Nigerians and further position the country as a leader in Africa’s technological evolution,” the Managing Director of ipNX Nigeria, Mr Ejovi Aror, said at the visit.
In his remarks, Mr Olorunnimbe thanked the firm for the show of support, reiterating the commission’s commitment to fostering an enabling environment for private sector participation in achieving universal broadband access across Nigeria.
This collaboration is expected to advance Nigeria’s transformation agenda in technology and help boost the federal government’s broadband agenda for the country.
ipNX Nigeria has said it remains at the forefront of delivering cutting-edge broadband and ICT solutions, and this engagement underscores its unwavering dedication to supporting national development through technology-driven initiatives.
By Adedapo Adesanya
MTN Nigeria is restructuring its fintech business by bringing in its parent company, MTN Group, as a major investor to help cushion against losses that have plagued the units.
Yesterday, MTN Nigeria announced that its parent firm, based in South Africa, will acquire a 60 per cent stake in MoMo Payment Service Bank Limited (MoMo PSB) and Y’ello Digital Financial Services (YDFS) Limited.
MoMo is a payment service bank business that provides financial services, including deposits, payments, transfers and digital wallets to individuals and small businesses in Nigeria via digital and mobile‑based platforms.
Y’ello Digital is a licensed super-agent that provides agency banking and financial services, including cash deposits, withdrawals and bill payments. It operates through the MoMo network.
In an explanatory note in respect of the proposed transaction on Tuesday, MTN Nigeria said the transaction will cost N95.5 billion and reduce its exposure to the “loss-making” financial technology (fintech) companies.
According to the Nigerian subsidiary, the acquisition, which the South African company will conduct through another subsidiary, MTN Group Fintech, is a restructuring that consists of two phases.
MTN Nigeria said the first phase is the acquisition of a 60 per cent stake in each of the two fintech companies by MTN Group.
“MTN Group Fintech will acquire a 60 per cent stake in each of the Fintech Companies through a combination of primary issuance of shares by the Fintech Companies and a secondary acquisition of shares in MoMo PSB from MTN Nigeria, at an agreed valuation of N95.5 billon (on an intra-group debt free and cash free basis), resulting in an implied capital injection of N152.06 billion payable in cash or consideration other than cash, or a combination (the “Investment Amount”) into the Fintech Companies; and MTN Nigeria will retain a 40% stake in the Fintech Companies,” the statement read.
According to the explanatory note, the second phase is the creation of a financial holding company named Fintech HoldCo, which will be 60 per cent owned by MTN Group Fintech and 40 per cent owned by MTN Nigeria.
The fintech units are currently loss-making, and this move will help MTN Nigeria to reduce financial risk and share future losses and investment burden. However, it will still keep a significant minority stake (40 per cent)
The network provider said the transaction phase will be completed with Fintech HoldCo acquiring the shares held by MTN Group Fintech and MTN Nigeria in MoMo and Y’ello Digital.
“Subject to obtaining the approval of the CBN, Fintech HoldCo will become the 100% owner of the shares in the Fintech Companies, having acquired all the shares held respectively by MTN Group Fintech and MTN Nigeria in the Fintech Companies,” the telecommunications company said.
MTN Nigeria said an annual general meeting (AGM) will be held on April 30, for shareholders to consider and, if thought fit, approve the proposed transaction.
The telco said the proposed transaction distributes operational risks, allowing MTN Group Fintech to share future capital risks, such as losses, regulatory burdens and execution risks.
In August 2024, MTN Nigeria acquired a 7.17 per cent stake held by Acxani Capital Limited in MoMo.
The acquisition increased MTN Nigeria’s total stake in MoMo to 100 per cent.
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