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UNICEF, Ezekwesili advocate AI integration in education

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged policymakers and educators to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the education system to enhance the learning experiences for both students and teachers.

The organization emphasised that, although AI offers great potential for improving educational results, it should be utilized in a way that safeguards and promotes human agency.

In recognition of the 2025 International Day of Education, themed ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Education – Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation’, Benjamin Ukom, the UNICEF Desk Officer for Education in Cross River State, highlighted that by adopting ethical practices, empowering teachers, encouraging critical thinking, and ensuring equitable access, it is possible to develop an educational environment where technology and human values coexist, thus preparing learners for a future in an automated world.

While speaking on the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) Programme of the organisation, he noted that while the programme has seen a significant number of enrollments, inadequate funding has hindered monitoring and evaluation efforts to gather feedback on its effectiveness.

“The Nigeria Learning Passport is an online e-learning platform designed to provide quality education to Nigerian students, especially those in remote areas with limited internet access.

“It features a flexible learning management system that can function both online and offline, offering interactive courses and content in various local languages such as English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba.

“It caters to early childhood, primary, secondary, and vocational education and was developed in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education and UNICEF,” Ukom explained.

Also, a former Minister of Education, Obi Ezekwesili, advocated prioritising foundational learning in Africa to equip children with the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven world.

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Ezekwesili highlighted the importance of automation-resistant skills such as analytical thinking, problem-solving, resilience, and leadership, noting that they are cultivated .

She emphasised the need for African governments to adopt effective teaching interventions like Teaching-at-the-Right-Level (TaRL) and Structured Pedagogy that will only improve learning outcomes and lay the groundwork for building human agency in future labour markets.

Ezekwesili also called for increased investments in foundational learning, embedding digital literacy in curricula, and equipping teachers to integrate AI into teaching, ensuring that Africa’s children are well-prepared for the future.

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