ABEOKUTA — The Ogun State Government has rewarded 10 outstanding users of the OgunLEARN digital learning platform with digital tablets as part of efforts to encourage technology-driven teaching and learning across public schools in the state.
The award ceremony, held on Tuesday at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, recognized teachers who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to utilizing the OgunLEARN platform in classroom instruction and educational administration.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, described OgunLEARN as a revolutionary educational technology platform tailored specifically to Nigeria’s educational needs.
According to him, the platform represents a unique form of artificial intelligence developed from extensive research and designed around the Nigerian curriculum, local culture, and learning environment.
He maintained that the OgunLEARN platform is a key component of the Ogun State Government’s drive to leverage technology and artificial intelligence to improve access, quality, and efficiency in education, while equipping teachers and learners with digital tools for the future.
“OgunLEARN is actually a special kind of artificial intelligence. The importance of this platform is that it is customized for Nigerian use. It is based on the Nigerian curriculum and scheme of work developed by our teachers. The background, environment, culture, and daily experiences of our learners have all been taken into consideration,” he said.
Arigbabu explained that the platform emerged from years of research and engagement with learners, teachers, and stakeholders within the education sector, making it a homegrown solution to the challenges facing education delivery.
He noted that OgunLEARN has significantly improved administrative efficiency within the state’s education system through digital tools such as the Ogun Scholar initiative, Educam which supports the state’s scholarship programme.
“When people ask for information about our schools, we no longer have to search through files and cabinets. Technology has made life much easier for us,” the commissioner said.
He added that the platform has transformed lesson preparation for teachers by eliminating the burden of manually writing lesson notes, thereby allowing educators to devote more time to other critical teaching responsibilities.
Arigbabu disclosed that the state’s long-term vision is to achieve fully digital classrooms where teaching and learning activities are conducted electronically.
“The end result is a situation where classes will be totally digital. Learners will not need exercise books, pens, or pencils, while teachers will not need markers or chalk. Teaching, assignments, assessments, and Computer-Based Tests can all be conducted through the platform. Teachers can even teach virtually from different locations,” he explained.
The commissioner further revealed that the government currently has about 110 OgunLEARN Ambassadors, up from the initial 11 ambassadors appointed at the inception of the programme.
“We started with about 11 OgunLEARN ambassadors, but today we have 110. The number will continue to grow until all our teachers become ambassadors of the platform,” he said.
He noted that education administrators, including directors, education officers, and officials of the Teaching Service Commission, have also been encouraged to integrate the platform into their daily operations.
Arigbabu said the recognition of the top 10 users was aimed at motivating teachers to maximize the platform’s potential and support the state’s train-the-trainer initiative.
One of the award recipients, Mrs. Adedire Sakirat Olaoye of Idowa Comprehensive High School, expressed appreciation for the recognition, saying she had simply been committed to promoting the platform because of its benefits to teachers.
“I never believed a day like this would come. OgunLEARN has really assisted us in our work as teachers and educators. It makes teaching easier, and I have been encouraging my colleagues to embrace it because of the advantages it offers,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Comrade Soleye Omotola Oluwagbemi of Ogun Model Smart School, Ikenne, praised the platform’s impact on education delivery across the state.
Oluwagbemi, who serves as one of the state’s OgunLEARN ambassadors, disclosed that since the platform’s launch in January, ambassadors have trained more than 30,000 teachers both within and outside Ogun State.
“The platform is one of the best in Nigeria today. It has made teaching and learning more effective for teachers and students alike. Teachers can easily access lesson notes at their fingertips and deliver lessons effectively in the classroom,” he said.
He commended the Ogun State Government for introducing the innovation, describing it as a transformative initiative that is reshaping education delivery and improving learning outcomes across the state.
