In renewed commitment to reform the education sector, the Federal government has
announced the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), in curriculum delivery.
Minister of Education Morufu Olatunji Alausa, who made the announcement at the International Conference on Smart Education (ICSE) 2025, also revealed that Nigeria was targeting the integration of million out-of-school children by 2027 as an offshoot of the federal government’s education reform initiatives.
They include the Hope for Quality Basic Education programme (Hope-Ed), backed by the World Bank and GPE, and the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).
Alausa who said the education Ministry was committed to delivering an inclusive, future-ready education, underscored the alignment of ICSE 2025 with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, as he emphasized the centrality of human capital development.
Highlighting Nigeria’s youthful population of 44 percent being under the age of 15, the Minister called for an urgent re-engineering of the education system to convert this demographic strength into a digital dividend.
He said: “We must equip our children with 21st-century skills to avoid a demographic disaster.”
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nigeria, Kim Pankyu, praised the strong collaboration between Korea and Nigeria in advancing smart education, as he commended the Universal Basic Education Commission’s (UBEC) Smart Schools Programme.
Pankyu who reaffirmed KOICA’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation in basic education, emphasized that Korea’s experience shows how digital education could be a driver of social inclusion and economic growth, and expressed optimism about Nigeria’s potential to replicate similar success.
Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba, noted that the conference was a strong reminder that innovation in education was no longer optional as it was imperative for our progress, inclusion, and global competitiveness.
She stressed that the objectives of the conference includes; fostering knowledge-sharing, addressing challenges in tech-based education, promoting scholarship, and accelerating development which aligned deeply with UBEC’s mandate to ensure equitable, inclusive, and quality basic education for every Nigerian child.
“In a world increasingly defined by technology, fulfilling this mandate demands that we rethink education delivery, reimagine learning environments, and embrace innovation to bridge learning gaps and unlock the potential of every learner.
She emphasized that the Commission had “moved beyond simply introducing technology into schools to building a systematic, sustainable model for integrating digital innovation into teaching and learning” that was focused on empowering teachers and education managers with the skills and pedagogical strategies to transform classrooms into interactive, learner-centred spaces; creating culturally relevant digital resources aligned with Nigeria’s national curriculum, in collaboration with NERDC and EdTech partners; and ensuring access to appropriate technologies, from smart devices and VR labs to offline kits and solar-powered solutions for remote schools.
In her keynote address, Vice-Chancellor of Thomas Adewumi University, Oko, Kwara State, Francisca Oladipo, commended UBEC and KOICA for hosting a “beautiful event that reflects Nigeria’s readiness for the future”
“Smart education is not a luxury but a necessity to unlock Nigeria’s potential. It requires all hands on deck—from government to parents, teachers to tech innovators. Let this conference hold our leaders accountable and help us deliver on the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
She identified Nigeria’s demographic reality projected to surpass 400 million by 2050 with 40% under 15 as both a challenge and an opportunity. Despite the obstacles, Oladipo expressed optimism about the prospects for smart education in Nigeria pointing expanding mobile access, growing EdTech innovation, and state-level initiatives in smart education in several states across the country such as Abia, Enugu, Jigawa and Niger as signals of progress.
She also highlighted federal programmes like UBEC’s Teacher Internship Scheme and the National Digital Learning Policy as strategic enablers.
The conference was attended by delegates from several African countries including: Benin, Cameroun, Conakry, Congo, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Sao Tome, Sierra Leone, Togo, among others.
