Director of Corporate Communications and CSR at Airtel Nigeria, Femi Adeniran, has joined other thought leaders, to propose strategic solutions to advance Nigeria’s educational system, including Artificial Intelligence, for innovative teaching methodologies.
Adeniran made
his remarks while speaking as part of a panel at the 'Blackbelt Graduation
Ceremony’ organized by 1 Million Teachers, an international teacher training
organization, at the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, on Saturday, 6th July
2024.
Airtel
Nigeria was a co-sponsor of the 1 Million Teachers Blackbelt Graduation.
The panel titled
"Leveraging Expertise and Innovations for Advancing Educational Reforms in
Africa," also featured faculty member, St. Lawrence, College, Canada,
Patrick Egbunonu; Country Head, HP Nigeria, Emmanuel Asika; and Project
Director, Seed Care and Support Foundation, Olanrewaju Oniyitan.
In his
response to a question regarding school reputation management in the current dynamic
environment enabled by digital media, Adeniran proposed a quality delivery as
the most important ingredient for successful school marketing.
"Schools
face restrictions on using children for advertising and publicity, making the
institution rely on word-of-mouth to communicate achievements. On this note,
schools must implement impactful programs that connect with their community.
Direct and open communication platforms such as Parent-Teacher Association
(PTA) meetings keep parents informed of your strategies to help you spread to
your community,” he said.
He added that
continuous engagement with stakeholders on social media such as Instagram and
LinkedIn would also play a vital role in enhancing the image of educational
institutions.
Further
addressing the concern about partnership to drive educational advancement, Mr.
Femi Adeniran reiterated Airtel's commitment towards education, highlighting
its ongoing $57million partnership with UNICEF on the ‘Airtel/UNICEF Re-imagine
Education’ program.
“By the end
of year one, over 600,000 students were already learning through the Learning
Passport. Now, we have 960 public schools connected to digital education
through the Airtel-UNICEF partnership,” he noted.
The Lagos
State Commissioner of Basic Education, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, who presented
his remarks to round off the event, commended organizations that have
approached the government to partner and support education over time. He also
charged Teachers to hold their occupation jealously and be prepared for more
technological advancement to enable them to stay ahead of their students who
are younger and fast-moving with technology.
One Million
Teachers is an initiative committed to grooming high-quality teachers and
fostering grassroots improvements through innovative approaches. Through the
‘Blackbelt Graduation Ceremony’, 1 Million Teachers celebrate teachers for
their commitment to advancing their skills to effectively carry out their roles
in the community.