Government updates education curriculum to focus on digital skills

According to BusinessDay, the federal government has begun reorienting Nigeria's education system toward skills in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, networking and data analytics. Tunji Alausa, minister of education, stated that the reforms are designed to narrow the gap between classroom teaching and employer needs. The minister spoke at the Cisco Networking Academy Instructor Safari Conference for English West and Central Africa.

Alausa explained that the strategy aims to prepare learners for productive employment and business creation. He listed core digital competencies as software development, networking, cybersecurity, data analytics, cloud computing and artificial intelligence. He also noted that technical expertise needs to be supported by critical thinking, communication, teamwork and problem-solving.

Kashifu Abdullahi, director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency, also urged instructors to prioritise critical thinking and lifelong learning. The report states that digital technology is being introduced into school curricula from the primary level. The ministry's reform agenda includes six priority areas, with data and digitalisation supporting all of them.