UNICEF, on Wednesday, launched an e-learning platform, known as the Nigeria Learning Passport, in Imo to reduce the number of out-of-school children.

UNICEF said the platform was rolled out in 2022 and had already enrolled over 2.3 million Nigerians, whose education was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the organisation, the pandemic affected 1.6 billion learners globally.

Speaking at the event in Owerri, UNICEF’s chief of the Enugu field office, Juliet Chiluwe, said that NLP was developed through a collaboration among the Federal Ministry of Education, UNICEF, Airtel, IHS Towers, TECNO, and Microsoft, with support from the Global Partnership for Education.

Ms Chiluwe said the platform was introduced as a response to the widespread disruption of education caused by the pandemic.

She also explained that the launch in Imo brought the total coverage to 25 states nationwide. She also said that, given the number of learners already enrolled nationwide, the NLP had demonstrated a strong impact at scale.

According to Chiluwe, the NLP offers flexible online and offline functionality, supported by zero-rated access for Airtel users.

She affirmed UNICEF’s commitment to ensuring that all the content on the NLP was aligned with the Nigerian curriculum.

She commended the Imo government for its commitment to education and pledged to support the state in expanding access to the NLP, strengthening its oversight, and ensuring its continuity.

The NLP team lead and facilitator for the training, Philip Mamman, described the platform as “user-friendly”.

He said the facility would be available on the App Store and can be downloaded using internet-enabled devices.

He urged internet-savvy educators and students to embrace NLP and impart this knowledge to other teachers and students in their respective schools. 

(NAN)