Having demonstrated its potential to reduce digital illiteracy, a low-cost edutech initiative has geared up for wider outreach to schoolchildren in Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camp schools across the north this Christmas.
According to Unicef, 78% of Nigeria’s youth lack digital skills, though the overall digital literacy stood at 63% as of June. Nigeria targets 70% by 2027, and 95% by 2030.
The initiative, a project of Sun Books Nigeria, comprises solar-powered digital devices preloaded with educational material that will catalyze the effort to meet the targets where mostly needed, and in good time.
“About 40 % is a lot, in terms of population or reach, and 2030 is a long time, as timelines go,” said Adelakun Afolabi, Sun Books Nigeria’s country manager. “Sun Books is focusing on the undeserved segment, mostly in the rural areas, inner-cities, and the north where child literacy remains low compared to urban centers.”
Over a thousand units of the device have been distributed to pupils and their teachers in three states, including Abuja.
“With 2.6 billion people still offline in the world, there are a lot of bright minds missing out on new opportunities to ensure every child can learn to read,” Andy Kay, CEO and founder, World Literacy Foundation, under which Sun Books operates.
The Christmas campaign presents literacy advocates, ambassadors, volunteers and others working in charity the opportunity to support in raising N108 million for the education of children and families in seven IDP schools. Each of the schools will also receive 55 units of the solar-powered device.
Sun Books is an initiative of the World Literacy Foundation, a global NGO focusing on reading and writing. The foundation seeks to eradicate illiteracy around the world by 2040.
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