The United Nations Children's Fund has officially launched the Nigeria Learning Passport in Imo State, describing it as a major step towards expanding access to quality and inclusive education through digital technology.

The launch ceremony, held in Owerri on Wednesday, brought together government officials, development partners, private sector stakeholders, teachers, students, and members of the media, as Imo became the 25th state in Nigeria to adopt the digital learning platform.

Speaking at the event, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Enugu, Mrs Juliet Chiluwe, described the rollout as a landmark occasion and commended the state's commitment to leveraging technology to improve learning outcomes. "The launch of the Nigeria Learning Passport in Imo State marks another significant milestone in our collective effort to ensure that every child has access to quality education," she stated.

Chiluwe explained that the Nigeria Learning Passport was developed through a partnership involving the Federal Government of Nigeria, UNICEF and Microsoft, with support from the Global Partnership for Education, noting that the platform was initially expanded during the Covid19 pandemic to address disruptions in learning. According to her, the national rollout commenced in March 2022 and has since attracted over 2.3 million learners across Nigeria.

She praised the Imo State Government for what she described as commendable leadership and sustained commitment to educational development through technology, citing the state's Imo Digital Economy Agenda (IDEA 20222026), which prioritises digital literacy and the integration of Information and Communication Technology into teaching and learning.

Chiluwe added that the platform's online and offline capabilities would make learning accessible to children in both urban and hard to reach communities, helping to bridge educational gaps. "Technology alone cannot solve longstanding challenges in education. Continued investments in connectivity, devices, teacher capacity, and accountability mechanisms are essential to ensure that no child is left behind," she remarked.

Speaking during the training session, Team Lead of the Nigeria Learning Passport, Philip Mamman, disclosed that the initiative was designed to ensure Nigeria's education sector keeps pace with global digital transformation. "The programme was borne out of the need to carry the Nigerian education ecosystem along in the digitalisation process," he noted.

He described the platform as user friendly and accessible through internet enabled devices via app stores, adding that Airtel users could access its content free of data costs. Mamman further revealed that digitally skilled teachers had been selected from schools across Imo State for intensive training so they could serve as resource persons in their institutions. "We selected internet savvy educators from schools across the state so they can transfer the knowledge to other teachers, who will in turn train students in their schools," he explained.