In its bid to promote e-Learning across the country, the Federal Government of Nigeria has approved a contract for the provision of a satellite based education system equipment in three primary schools in each State in Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed revealed this at the end of this week’s cabinet meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said: “The Minister of Education south and obtained council’s approval for the award of contract provision of a satellite based education system for 109 e-Learning centres across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
“The contract is for the sum of N964 million. The purpose of the memo is to provide each senatorial district in the country with e-Learning provision. Each State has three senatorial districts and the FCT has one, making it 109.”
The scope of the project, the Information Minister said is the provision of a satellite based education system for 4360 learners in the senatorial districts including installation of 109 receiver satellite unit modems, servers and antenna in three schools in each State. He also said 4360 android tablets and 109 solar units would be deployed to the schools.
Speaking on the ongoing strike by university lecturers, the Minister noted that the Nigerian government is taking the necessary steps to ensure that the lecturers call off the strike, to enable students return to their classes.
On the comment from some quarters that the Islamic State West-African Province, ISWAP was hurriedly linked to the terrorists attack on a church in Owo, Mohammed said ISWAP was fingered based on intelligence report at government’s disposal, adding that the incident shouldn’t have occurred in the first instance.
“Whether it’s ISWAP or not, I don’t think that is the issue really. The issue is that it ought not to have happened and the security is doing its best to ensure there is no repeat of it. The Nigerian government has access to a lot of information and intelligence reports and I want to say that saying it was ISWAP must have been based on their intelligence report and the government will ensure that the perpetrators are found ,” he affirmed.