FG to Distribute 60,000 Tablets to Teachers Nationwide, Allocates N21bn to Online Learning, Other
- The federal government has earmarked N21 billion in the 2026 budget for online learning platforms and perimeter fencing of 118 Federal Unity Colleges
- Budget details showed N14 billion was allocated for school fencing, while N7 billion was provided for online secondary education
- The ministry of education said the initiatives were part of ongoing reforms to expand access, improve security and strengthen digital teaching capacity
The federal government has set aside N21 billion in the 2026 budget to expand online learning in secondary schools and strengthen security in Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.
The allocation covers perimeter fencing for 118 unity schools and continued investment in virtual classroom platforms for public secondary education.
Source: Facebook
Budget documents showed that N14 billion was voted for perimeter fencing projects, while N7 billion was earmarked for online learning initiatives, Tribune reported.
Both projects were listed as ongoing and are being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.
FG expands online learning in schools
The allocation for online learning marked a notable reduction from the previous year.
The N7 billion proposed for 2026 represented a 63.2 per cent drop from the N10 billion provided for the same purpose in the 2025 budget.
The virtual learning component was listed as “Online Classroom Platform for Secondary Schools,” while the fencing project appeared as “Provision of Security Infrastructure in 118 Unity Colleges: Perimeter Fencing.”
The online learning programme was introduced last year to widen access to education and address teacher shortages across the country. It was designed to ensure continuity of learning regardless of location and local challenges.
FG aims at technology-driven secondary education
Speaking on the initiative, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the use of technology to deliver live and interactive lessons would broaden access to quality education nationwide.
“Deploying technology to deliver live, interactive lessons directly to learners democratises access to quality education and ensures that no child is left behind, regardless of location or circumstance,” he said.
Source: Twitter
He added that the programme would be expanded to cover all class levels.
Available data underscored the scale of the task. Figures from the National Senior Secondary Education Commission showed that more than 5.5 million students are enrolled in senior secondary schools nationwide.
Data from the Universal Basic Education Commission indicated that over eight million pupils attend junior secondary schools.
Teacher-focused reforms and digital tools
Dr Olatunji Alausa also disclosed that the government had rolled out Ignite, a digital platform aimed at reducing teachers’ workload while improving instructional quality.
He said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had introduced the Diaspora Bridge to link Nigerian learners with global experts in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine.
“To remove barriers to access, the Federal Ministry of Education has supported the provision of 60,000 tablets for teachers, and is working with telecom partners to fully implement a zero-data access plan, ensuring that teachers can access approved training platforms and digital resources without the burden of data costs,” he said.
The minister added that reforms had been carried out across teacher registration, training and professional development, including the introduction of a National Teacher Policy to provide long-term direction for the profession.
FG introduces tough anti-cheating rules
Earlier, Legit,ng reported that the federal government had rolled out fresh measures aimed at tackling examination malpractice in the Senior School Certificate Examination, a key requirement for admission into tertiary institutions across the country.
The new steps apply to examinations conducted by the West African Examination Council, the National Examination Council and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board.
Source: Legit.ng
