Stakeholders in the education sector have said that the digital platform, Educatial, will contribute a lot to encourage students, lecturers, scholars, entrepreneurs, federal and state governments to harness opportunities inherent in the education sector for the development of the country.
Speaking at a stakeholders meeting Tuesday in Abuja, chairman and founder of Educatial, Mr. Francis Muofunanya, said that the digital platform will democratize e-learning, create enduring institutions, unlock the great potentials of Africa’s young population and create wealth among the people.
He said: “Globally, education, like every other sphere of life, has over the years witnessed great evolution in methods and content of teaching and learning. Therefore when you use yesterday’s method of teaching and learning for today’s children, they lose their future. Technology has impacted education greatly; moreso since the covid-19 era, when it was practically impossible for physical classroom instruction and learning.
“While majority of schools in Nigeria were inactive during the Covid-19 pandemic, some schools especially the private universities, were able to switch to virtual classrooms to continue with their academic activities through digital platforms, though at a great cost to the schools. This was also the pattern globally especially in developed countries, where the digital infrastructure is well established and affordable.
“As more learning happens online, education is overwhelmed and in need of a learning ecosystem that provides a unified solution to all aspects of learning. Educatial was developed by indigenous systems engineers in response to this need. It is an exciting software-as-a-service ecosystem platform for the education sector focused on transforming learning for present and future generation.
“Educatial provides a ‘one-stop-shop’ including hardware, software, infrastructure, hosting and support. Our focus is on teaching learners how to learn, training professionals in career-focused skills and equipping educators for success.
“We believe that Educatial will engage the youths and help them acquire the relevant skills that will empower them to play at the global stage, without having to travel out of Nigeria and hence curb excessive migration to other developed countries, otherwise known as japa, in search of better education and good paying jobs.
“We have through Educatial developed 20 uniquely different, but interconnected educational tools that are engaging, effective, impactful and fun, but at the same time are useful in community-led learning. Our EduTech digital solutions are easily accessible and inexpensive. In fact, over 70 per cent can be accessed freely, while a token is required to sign on to other modules.
“Educatial will birth young professional billionaires in media, film making and other content creation hubs. Universities and other educational institutions will be able to exponentially increase their internally generated revenues through some of our digital bouquet, without taxing students and their guardians.
“I implore you to listen and pay attention during the presentation so you can identify the unique needs of your organization. We will also be glad to welcome comments and suggestions on areas you want us to pay particular attention. You can sign on immediately to the platform and enjoy early bird advantages.
“Indeed a new dawn is here. Nigeria is on the path to educational and economic Eldorado as our youths are enabled through Educatial to maximize their potentials. The youngest billionaires today apart from highly paid sports people and those in entertainment are those in the digital tech ecosystem. Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, who became a billionaire in his 20s, is a shining example. Coming back to Nigeria, we have lots of young people doing great things at Flutterwave, Paystack,Andela, etc.”
In his presentation, a digital strategist, Mr Celestine Achi, said that Educatial is a game changer and has come to change the narratives by making education to be fun, affordable and sociable, adding that Educatial is the brainchild of a two-year research that should be embraced by stakeholders in the education stakeholders.
On his part, the Director, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department, National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Pius Ekireghwo, said the federal government is always willing to contribute to anything that will add to the advancement of education in the country and will be more than willing to partner with Educatial to see that the objectives of the digital platform is realised.
