…Advocate STEM platform
Two Nigerian leading Information and Communication (ICT) experts, Mr. Chris Uwaje, Director General, Delta State Innovation Hub and Amos Emmanuel, Chief Software Architect, Programos Software Group, have drawn fresh roadmap for the digitalization of Nigeria’s educational system to be in line with current realities.
Both experts, who spoke at different interviews, called on education policymakers and stakeholders to ensure that educational institutions are regulated to ensure Science-Technology-Engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning in educational programs are digitized and made seamless.
Explaining more in an interview on how best to change the narrative of the sorry state of education development in Nigeria, Uwaje described digitalization of educational system as conversion of all forms of development through digital knowledge process from analogue format to digital electronic learning process at all levels.
While identifying things the country require in order to digitalize its educational system to include creative people, visionary leadership, active science, technology and innovation research, constructive strategy, responsive and sustainable infrastructure, Emmanuel said that digitized education frameworks bring about expanded knowledge sharing. Uwaje argued that “More so, we have to promote merit-first strategy, retooling the entire workforce and learning environment with ICT intervention. Technology is created by man. Therefore we need people and knowledge – first policy. And best way to conquer that abnormally is through the fussion of Nigeria’s diaspora and local knowledge processes that applies huge investment and transparent incentives in education promotion, administration and sustainable management standard.”
In his submission, the Chief Software Architect at Programos Software Group, stressed that digital knowledge sharing and collaborations between regions and institutions steps up citizens’ empowerment for innovation by skilled citizens who impact social innovation, integration of technologies into everyday life.
He said “Knowledge is power! Nigeria will be able to create and sustain a wealthy innovation-bed of innovation creators rather than as technology consumers only. As the WSA Eminent National Expert for Nigeria and Grand Jury member, we can point to a clear fact that the country’s innovation ecosystem, despite its numerous social-political challenges, is productive and growing in leaps and bounds as Nigeria has sustained consistency on the global innovation map rating of the UN World Summit Awards system that started in, Vienna, Austria 15 years ago.
