Stakeholders demand upscaling technology for inclusive education

The Africa Center of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL) in collaboration with the International Trade Facilitating Association (ITFA) has called for upscaling the use of technology to promote inclusive education for all.

ACETE launched at the Djibouti Workshop of the World Bank and Association of African Universities as one of the Ace Impact Project in 2019, stated the benefits of digital education to include increased access to education for marginalised groups, improved quality of education, enhanced learning experience, and enhanced teacher training and support

Grace Jokthan, Professor and Centre Lead for ACETEL, stressed the need to upscale the use of technology in her remarks at the one day Digital Education Day tagged, “Leveraging Technology for Inclusive Education” which held at the National Open University, NOUN, Abuja on Wednesday, March 9, 2025.

Jokthan said technology has become a crucial aspect of various fields and it is essential to consider its applications.

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Noting that the Digital Education Day will be an annual event which has come to stay, Joktham said this year’s programme would focus on working with agencies, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations to upscale and develop young people.

“The goal is to explore ways to achieve this objective. The event will be an annual event..there is a need to talk about digital education, inclusive access and quality access to distance learning”, she noted.

Also speaking, Amber Kanyan Regional Education Finance Manager at Sterling Bank, noted that “leveraging on technology is disruptive because it is changing everything that we know.

“We cannot quantify how digital education will go in transforming the educational landscape, because it is beyond funding but about channeling the finance and resources into specific areas that will give us the change that we are looking at.

“So we talk about quality, access and equity which are some of the things digital education helps us to achieve.”

Mute Olori, Transformational Parenteen Coach/Media Consultant, said the event was about spotlighting how to leverage on technology for inclusive education.

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Olori said, “The idea is to educate and empower people to know how to use technological resources that are available to upscale human capacity.

“We are working with teachers, university environment to know the world is going digital and we cannot remain in a spot were we think everything can be done physically”, she said.

She added that digital education would increase access, improved quality of education and equity, as it can reach remote areas and provide opportunities for students who may not have had access to quality education otherwise.

Stakeholders at the event agreed that Digital education is disrupting traditional learning, with the use of solar-powered tablets, online learning platforms, and other digital tools,to support education from anywhere, without the need for physical infrastructure.