How Lagos State is leveraging PPP to develop education system

Most Nigerian states are currently facing the challenge of underfunding in the education sector resulting in poor availability of educational infrastructure, and poor quality of teachers.

This is why there is an increasing number of out-of-school children in Nigeria because only a few understand the importance of leveraging public-private partnerships to develop their education system.

Industry experts believed through continued collaboration with the right private sector partners, the education sector will stand a good chance to inspire a generation of young, confident problem solvers in Nigeria, equipped with the necessary skills to thrive and succeed on a global scale.

Speaking recently at the Lagos Education Conference organised in partnership with Casio, Folasade Adefisayo, commissioner for education in Lagos State, said the partnership with the private sector such as Casio has been fruitful as it has helped improve the WAEC results of candidates from the state.

Adefisayo said the improvement in the performance of students can be attributed to some of the quality of training the teachers received because it’s not just training on the use of calculators but training on making the classroom an engaging environment.

She lauded Casio, a global leader in the research, development, and manufacturing of consumer electronics and educational technology for the successful implementation of the Casio Model School Project, a study in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Education, which featured six secondary schools and two distinct groups of students using an experimental and control group.

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The commissioner further said that the findings from the Model School Project underscored the crucial role of scientific calculators in Mathematics education and demonstrated that by incorporating these tools into Mathematics lessons, students experience a reduction in computational errors and an increase in conceptual understanding, ultimately leading to improved procedural fluency in mathematics.

On his part, Takashi Seimiya, managing director of Casio, said the initiative stems from the company’s core philosophy of fostering creativity, curiosity, and positive societal impact.

According to him, such comprehensive programmes not only equip teachers across Nigeria with the necessary skills to effectively integrate Casio technology into their classroom instruction but also make learning easier and enjoyable for their students.

Seimiya said Casio remains committed to nurturing academic excellence and empowering students to unlock their full potential, adding that the next step is to train more teachers on inquiry-based learning with the usage of scientific calculators in six districts in Lagos.

“It is imperative that students have access to authentic Casio calculators, which not only provide accurate and reliable results but also foster trust between teachers and students. Through our continued collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Education, we aim to inspire a generation of young, confident problem solvers in Nigeria, and equip them with the necessary skills to thrive and succeed on a global scale, Seimiya said.

To date, over 2,000 teachers have been trained in the Casio Lab. The interactive sessions and workshops provided valuable insights into incorporating scientific calculators into math lessons, leading to improved student performance and a deeper conceptual understanding of Mathematics.