The Ogun State government has said that it is ready to partner an ICT firm, Microsoft Nigeria Limited, on Digital Education as part of the effort it is making to ensure and retain its leadership position among other states in the country.
The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, stated this in Abeokuta during a strategic partnership meeting on digital transformation in education, noting that the state is committed to using technology in enhancing the education sector.
Prof. Arigbabu said the need for technology transformation in schools could not be over-emphasised due to its ability to help slow learners and allow all forms of flexibility.
He called on all and sundry to work together with the government and use technology to drive the sector to an enviable position.
He said: “We acknowledge and appreciate several partnerships of the Ministry with Microsoft in the area of digital learning which include; Microsoft 365 Activation for Ogun MOEST in April, 2020, COVID-19 Pre-Resumption Training of 10,000 Teachers, School Managers and School Health Workers on Teams and many more”.
The commissioner pointed out that Ogun State was the first in the country to establish mutually beneficial partnership with Microsoft Nigeria Limited in establishing and promoting digital learning, appreciating it for its unflinching interest in the state.
Contributing, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo, commended Microsoft for its unwavering support to the state, enjoining teachers, school administrators, education management staff and other stakeholders in the education sector to embrace Information and Communication Technology.
Earlier in his remarks, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics in the ministry, Mr. Ezekiel Adewunmi, had said, “The essence of the meeting is to extend and expand the scope of partnership between the Ministry and Microsoft, which is to bring forward key and strategic initiatives for the digital education transformation”.
Also speaking on the event, the Country Manager and Customer Success Manager (modern classroom), Mrs. Ola Williams and Mr. Babatunde Vaughan respectfully, said the Microsoft Education Framework is a guide for education leaders to navigate the complexity of transformation impacting every aspect of the mission, adding that it facilitates the process of envisioning what is possible and developing a strategy to achieve it.