Digital Literacy: UNICEF, TECNO Unveil Teacher Training Initiative in Nigeria

Nigeria’s push to strengthen digital literacy in schools is set for another lift as UNICEF and TECNO enter the second year of their collaboration on the Learning Passport, a platform created to help bridge long-standing learning gaps across the country.

The Learning Passport was first introduced globally in 2018 as part of UNICEF’s effort to widen access to education for children who struggle to get into classrooms or stay engaged. Although the programme reached Nigeria nationwide in 2022 through the Federal Ministry of Education, TECNO only joined in 2024, offering technical backing and hardware support.

Since then, the platform has operated both online and offline, allowing pupils and teachers to use curriculum-aligned content, including lessons in local languages. It offers materials ranging from foundational subjects to skills development. Teachers also rely on it for professional training.

Wider Access and Stronger Engagement

Over the past year, TECNO’s involvement has helped the programme expand into Osun and Kwara, raising the number of participating states from 19 to 21. With the new rollout, about 45,000 additional learners—more than 20,000 of them girls—have joined the platform, showing stronger engagement and improved performance.

A blended-learning handbook translated into Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba has already trained 1,000 teachers and 52 facilitators. The programme also ran digital-teaching workshops across 29 communities in Kano and Nasarawa, improving lesson design and technology use in classrooms.

Across the country, the Nigeria Learning Passport now hosts more than 2.2 million registered learners. A network of 52 state-level technical teams is in place, and teacher-training initiatives are active in nine states, giving tens of thousands of educators the tools to support digital literacy in schools.

New Phase to Reach More Teachers

The next stage of the partnership will see new devices—including tablets and projectors—supplied to more areas. Work will also continue to strengthen the infrastructure that supports digital learning. Large-scale teacher training will spread to six more states: Kano, Nasarawa, Niger, Edo, Ekiti, and Zamfara.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with UNICEF in driving further progress in digital education throughout Africa,” said Jack Guo, TECNO’s General Manager. “Education serves as the cornerstone of social development, and TECNO firmly believes that technological innovation can transcend geographical boundaries, enabling children in remote regions to access equitable learning opportunities and illuminate their future.”

UNICEF’s Nigeria Country Representative, Wafaa Saeed, described the platform as essential for children who still face barriers to education. “The Nigeria Learning Passport is more than a digital platform; it is a lifeline for millions of children,” she said, stressing that partnerships with government and the private sector continue to expand equitable access.

As both organisations deepen their collaboration, the goal remains clear: to build a stronger and more inclusive digital learning ecosystem that supports digital literacy in schools and opens new opportunities for children across Africa.