Victoria Mbangwa
Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has declared the country’s newly developed smart education framework a continental benchmark, as it celebrated the successful close of the $10 million KOICA-Nigeria Smart Education Project in Abuja on Monday.
At the official closing ceremony held at UBEC Digital Center Abuja, Executive Secretary Aisha Garba described the initiative as more than a project, calling it “the dawn of a new era in Nigeria’s basic education.”
The three-year collaboration between the Nigerian and Korean governments, launched in 2021, aimed to modernize public primary and junior secondary schools through technology integration, teacher training, and the development of digital learning content.
Under the project, Nigeria has established a Smart Education Master Plan, trained over 300 teachers and school leaders, built six world-class Content Development Studios, and produced nearly 4,000 digital mathematics and science resources based on the Nigerian curriculum.
While the KOICA partnership directly supported six smart schools, UBEC revealed it now operates 21 fully functional smart schools nationwide, with 16 more set to commence academic activities. The Commission’s phased framework categorizes schools into five models, ranging from zonal-level pilots to ambitious plans for at least two smart schools in each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
Garba said the model adapted from global best practices and tailored to Nigerian realities offers a blueprint for other African countries seeking scalable, culturally relevant digital education systems.
Beyond infrastructure, the project has transformed teachers into “digital content educators,” equipping 70 guiding teachers and 30 school leaders to integrate technology and locally developed digital materials into daily lessons.
The UBEC chief also pointed to wider reforms that have removed long-standing funding bottlenecks for states, resulting in increased school enrolment, improved learning tools, and targeted interventions for girls and learners with special needs.
“We saw not just problems, but possibilities. Possibilities to reimagine learning, to bridge the digital divide, and to empower our schools and teachers to become catalysts for lasting transformation,” Garba said, reaffirming UBEC’s commitment to expanding smart education beyond the current 37 model schools to all public schools, including underserved areas.
In her closing remarks, she thanked KOICA and the Government of Korea for their role in “To KOICA and the Government of the Republic of Korea, we say thank you immensely for this laudable support,” adding that the journey towards a fully digitized and inclusive education system has only just begun.
