Educated illiterate people may dominate Nigeria as two classes of educated people may soon emerge in the country.
Education stakeholders in Nigeria have seen this coming and have raised the alarm over what they called digital education gap in Nigeria caused by absence of teaching of information and computer technology (ICT) in many schools.
The stakeholders who rose from a one-day summit in Port Harcourt said a huge imbalance has appeared whereby elite schools teach ICT and digital knowledge while most others do not. The result, they said, is huge gap or imbalance in the future of Nigeria.
The most urgent, according to a report from the summit, is the computer-based test (CBT) ordered by the FG for writing of certificate examinations from Nigeria henceforth appears doomed because most schools especially public schools in rural areas do not have capacity to write such exams.
These were the outcomes of the Cloudnotte Digital Education Roundtable 2025 where stakeholders issued a call for accelerated digital transformation in Nigerian education.
Read also: Digital transformation and its impact on business process analysis in Nigerian investment firms
The summit took place at the Atrium Event Centre in PH, bringing together policymakers, regulators, examination bodies, school owners, teachers, private school associations, tertiary institutions, and government agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Education (NERDC, SUBEB) and Rivers State education bodies.
Five major resolutions and a signed personal commitment from every participant to become active advocates for digital education.
Participants thus demanded for policy and governance for digital transformation including immediate institutionalization of mandatory digital literacy programmes by federal and state agencies.
Similarly, examination bodies were urged to fast-track full transition to digital assessments and enforce minimum ICT-readiness standards as a condition for school accreditation and examination centre approval.
The roundtable agreed on phased, school-specific digital adoption roadmaps, intensive training for teachers and ICT staff, and reliable power, internet, and device infrastructure.
Stakeholders called for continuous professional development, performance incentives, and formal recognition for educators leading digital innovation in their schools.
Participants committed to push for massive public investment in school ICT, public-private partnerships, and deployment of affordable, accessible, and inclusive digital platforms.
There was affirmation that no single entity can transform education alone. The forum resolved to strengthen ongoing partnerships among schools, EdTech companies (with explicit support for scaling proven solutions like Cloudnotte’s digital classroom, CBT, and AI-powered tools), universities, examination bodies, and government. Continuous research, pilot projects, and knowledge-sharing were identified as essential.
Participants signed an undertaking to push for digital education through advocacy for digital learning and technology-driven school operations.
In her opening address, Mary Matthew Otto, Managing Director/CEO of Cloudnotte Limited, warned that Nigeria risked leaving an entire generation behind if the digital divide in education is not urgently bridged.
Sam Ogeh, chairman on the occasion, who is the chairman of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), lamented the absence of functional ICT facilities and weak policy implementation but expressed optimism to bridge the gap.
