The Global Initiative for Entrepreneurship and Capacity Development, an ICLED NGO, and ICLED xBusiness School, Lekki, Lagos (IBS), in collaboration with her USA partner, Smart Kids Club USA, is set to hold an education conference to address the global digital divide in primary education in Nigeria.
The theme of the conference is ‘Nigeria reads: A Panacea for Reducing the Digital Divide and Marginalization of the Primary School Students as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic’.
The conference will be moderated by Johanna Le Blanc, a US-based national security and foreign affairs legal analyst who frequently appears on Channels TV and many other African networks.
The conference will be under the chairmanship of the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, Okukenu IV. Other dignitaries include the Minister of Education, Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, and corporate organizations.
The keynote address will be delivered by Wale Adeosun, founder/CEO, Kuramo Capital, Manhattan, New York on the topic ‘The Global Importance of Investing in Education’.
The conference, which is scheduled to take place virtually on Thursday, August 20 by 10am, is expected to have other speakers from the American Embassy and different government functionaries including Lai Koiki, founder of Greensprings Schools, and Tajuna Kumari from India.
“The Chief Technology Officer of Smart Kids Club, Delaware USA, Harjeet Singh, will present the application which teaches literacy and numeracy skills with no use for data once downloaded,” according to the convener of the conference and founder of ICLED, Olajumoke Framilode.
“This app from our USA partner will bridge the divide by teaching reading skills for literacy and mathematic skills for numeracy,” she said.
Framilode informed that the purchase of the app by the state governments, the Federal Government, private sector, foundations and NGOs will go a long way to reach the remote areas of the country.
“There are also children in the cities and in the northern areas that have no access to education without data and power. The COVID-19 has skyrocketed the number of students with no access to education thereby increasing the issues of the girl-child and increase in vices such as rape, abuse, kidnapping and poverty,” she said.
“Invitation to the launching of the app and the conference has been sent to corporate organisations such as banks, senators from USA, foundations, NGOs, stakeholders and members of the media while over 500 participants have registered worldwide with registration and more information still going on through our website,” she noted.
