Presentation of school geolocation results in Niger: 16,193 schools geolocated in Niger as part of the implementation of the Giga Initiative.
The Minister of Education, Pr Natatou Ibrahim, presided over a ceremony in Niamey yesterday morning to present the results of the geolocation of schools in Niger. The aim of the Unicef-funded "Trouve mon Ecole" project is to provide connectivity in Niger's schools in order to improve the quality and standard of education. It is part of the Giga Initiative, a joint initiative of UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Specifically, the Giga initiative has four main objectives: to map the connectivity of each school, to finance the common offer, to connect each school and finally to give young people the basic skills to take advantage of it. This ceremony marks the completion of the first component of the initiative, which created a global public map of school locations and connectivity levels. Niger has welcomed this initiative, which is in line with the Education and Training Sector Transition Plan (PTSEF) and the Economic and Social Development Plan (PDES).conomic and Social Development Plan (PDES) as an appropriate response to resolving inequalities in access to school and improving the quality of learning.
This first phase of the Giga initiative will above all accelerate the transformation of the educational world through the development of digital initiatives, by promoting the implementation of collective projects. It also aims to take advantage of effective connectivity to give young people access to educational resources and potential. It will ensure that every child has access to the digital public goods they need, and that every child is able to forge the future they aspire to.
At the opening of the meeting, the Minister of Education pointed out that geolocation of schools is part of a more global strategy to modernize the education system, including the radiotelephony program.This includes the "Tarbiya TV" educational digital broadcasting program, which takes up the keys to success of the past (educational television) while incorporating contemporary technological developments. "Nearly 3.7 billion people around the world are not connected to the Internet and, by extension, are not connected to the digital products and services that could considerably improve their quality of life.products and services that could considerably improve their living conditions, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)", he declared.
Pr Natatou Ibrahim pointed out that 29% of 18-24 year-olds, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa, do not have digital access, i.e. almost 360 million people who consequently do not have access to the same information, opportunities and choices as their connected peers. He also added that a majority of this group of young people face a digital divide and exclusion from the digital world, hence the launch of UNICEF's "Giga" initiative.Giga" initiative, which aims to connect every school to the Internet, and every young person to the information and opportunities it offers.
Earlier, Unicef representative Patricia Sofi Lombo pointed out that Niger has one of the lowest levels of Internet connectivity in the world, with only 14.5% of the population having access to the Internet. "Currently, less than 3% of schools are connected to the internet, which means that skills acquisition is out of reach for most young people in Niger. This digital exclusion deprives learners of online resources, the possibility of distance learning, and the opportunity to develop digital skills. That's why the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and UNICEF have joined forces to create Giga, a global initiative to connect every school to the Internet," she said.
For his part, ANSI Director General Ibrahim Guimba underlined ANSI's role in this major project. "ANSI, as a major player in the development of Niger's digital ecosystem, promotes the government's vision of building a Niger that is connected and resolutely forward-looking. Our mission, which is in line with the objectives of the Smart Village program and the Niger 2.0 plan, is to promote access to information and communication technologies and their use for the country's socio-economic development, particularly in education. ANSI's policy is to support the development and dissemination of digital educational resources", he recalled.
Source: news.aniamey.com/
