Computer scientists to use AI to help restructure Nigeria’s education sector
On Sunday, the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) demanded that the education system be redesigned so that everyone has access to easy and affordable teaching.
In an interview in Lagos, the organization’s president, Sirajo Aliyu, stated that NCS was envisioning a time when technology will completely transform how Nigerians work and learn.
He stated that NCS, as the umbrella body for IT professionals, aimed to actualise this goal.
“From championing artificial intelligence to data mining, the NCS is always at the forefront of the latest trends. This organisation is working tirelessly to develop programmes that address the needs of the sector, often anticipating and shaping the future of IT,” Mr Sirajo said.
According to him, one area that stands to benefit greatly from the NCS’ efforts is education, which integrates AI into tertiary institutions to make learning and teaching more accessible, affordable, and effective.
“Imagine online classes where resources are readily available, and students can learn at their own pace; the cost of education will plummet, making it possible for more people to access quality learning,” he stressed.
Mr. Sirajo continued, saying that the NCS might use AI if the government helped to create an atmosphere that made it possible. According to him, the Nigerian Communications Commission is working hard to upgrade infrastructure and lower the cost of broadband.
He said for N100, students could access data for learning, paving the way for a future where online classes are the norm.
Some IT experts joined the call for the reform of Nigeria’s education sector in an earlier virtual event hosted by the NCS. The professionals advocated for an innovative nation and continent with a future thinking towards AI.
At NCS’s third “Technology-Enhanced Learning/Computer Education Forum,” the experts made their call.
According to Abejide Ibijola, a professor of artificial intelligence and applications at the Johannesburg Business School of the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, nearly all African nations deal with the same issues as Nigeria does.
According to Mr Ibijola, young people in Nigeria and around Africa should be exposed to fast-paced, future-focused training to shift their perspective and encourage innovation.
Great teaching should be at the forefront, according to the professor, if the continent considers using AI in education in the future.
