The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), on Monday, commenced the distribution of 5,000 educational tablets to students from 17 primary and post-primary schools in the eight Local Government Areas of Bayelsa.
The ceremony, which took place at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall in Yenagoa, was part of NDDC’s interventionist mandate in the Niger Delta region.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tablets were preloaded with educational content for primary, junior and senior secondary schools curriculum.
In a speech, the Managing Director of NDDC, Chief Samuel Ogbuku, said the commission would continue to support the NDDC mandated states in their drive to address education needs and interest of the people of the region.
Ogbuku, represented by the Director, Education, Health and Social Services, Mr George Uzonwanne, also said that the event underscored the unwavering commitment of the commission, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, to the holistic development of the region.
He said: “The distribution of these education tools is a testament to the Renewed Hope Agenda, championed by the President, the Chairman, Senate Committee on NDDC, Senator Asuquo Ekpeyoung, our Board, and the Management of NDDC.
“We are dedicated to fostering educational initiatives that promote literacy, numeracy, and lifelong learning, ensuring that the Niger Delta youths can compete on an equal footing with their peers globally.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our efforts to enhance the learning experience for our students.
“We are gathered here to launch the distribution of educational tablets to our schools across the region.
“These tablets are more than just furniture.
“They represent our commitment to creating a conducive learning environment that fosters academic excellence, creativity, and innovation.
“With these U-Lesson tablets, our students will have a comfortable and dedicated space to learn, study, and grow.
“They will be able to engage in collaborative learning, share ideas, and build meaningful relationships with their peers.”
According to the NDDC boss, the initiative is not merely about the provision of digital devices, it is a significant leap forward in our commitment to integrating technology into the educational processes that shape the future of our children.
“By harnessing the power of these digital learning resources, we aim to enhance student engagement, streamline curriculum development and accessibility, and ultimately boost student performance and achievement.
“The U-Lesson education software is meticulously tailored to align with the Nigerian educational system, ensuring relevance and effectiveness in our local context.
“One of the standout features of this software is its offline video library, which allows learners to play, pause, and rewind content without the need for an internet connection.
“This is particularly crucial in our region, where internet accessibility can be inconsistent.
“Additionally, the software includes parent controls and a long battery life of up to 18 hours, making it a reliable and safe tool for both students and educators,” Ogbuku said.
He further said that with the gesture, the commission was taking a significant step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 4, which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”
The U-Lesson Group representative, Mr Sim Shagaya, said that the company started U-Lesson with a very simple vision to combine animation, curriculum, technology and content.
Shagaya said: “We started working, a team of 30 of us at a time, now the company has grown to a staff strength of over 300 and we produced this application and content.
“At a time, we didn’t know people would accept U-Lesson. As God will have it, we launched this product one week into the COVID-19 lockdown.
“But we noticed that the people who were buying this product were the children from wealthy families and that was never the intention of U-Lesson.
“We built it so that everybody, everywhere can afford to use this product, that was always the intention.
“So we struggled to figure out how we are going to put this in the hands of everybody everywhere and that is where NDDC showed up, they showed the way forward.
“The role of government and intervention agencies, like the NDDC, as the middleman to take product like U-Lesson to the hands of an average person, cannot be discounted.” (NAN).
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