The Bank of Industry (BOI) has partnered with CloudNotte, an education technology company, to empower schools in Rivers State with digital tools and knowledge.
The collaboration aims to bridge the gap in access to quality education by providing schools with the necessary technology and training to drive innovation in education.
This is as over 700 school owners, administrators, and educators benefited from a one-day capacity-building program titled “Educators Insight” in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.
The programme focused on equipping school leaders with practical digital knowledge and tools to improve learning and teaching.
The programme’s theme, “Unlocking School Growth Through Innovation,” highlighted the importance of digital transformation in Africa’s education system.
BOI’s Divisional Head for MSMEs, South-South, Engr. Pacqueens Irabor, announced that schools can now access up to ₦5 million loan under the FGN MSME Intervention Fund at a 9% interest rate for three years.
He said the funding will enable schools to equip themselves with digital tools and infrastructure, saying “BOI has a huge appetite to fund education because it helps us fulfill our mandate of creating jobs.”
Also speaking at the event, CloudNotte CEO, Mary Matthew, emphasized the need for collaboration between the government, private sector, and stakeholders to improve education in Nigeria.
“The government is trying, but they need to do more. The private sector is also trying, but when you look at government schools, there is so much to be done,” Matthew said.
On her part, the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board’s Strategic Planning and ICT Officer, Stella Atukomi, emphasized the importance of integrating accurate data into school growth strategies. “Before you plan, you need information, and those information are key to decision-making in the state,” Atukomi said.
Sunday Jaja, NAPPS Rivers State Chairman, stressed the need for school leaders to adapt quickly to emerging trends, especially with the upcoming Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for WAEC. “This is not a time for school owners to relax. Today, WAEC is going CBT, and that is why NAPPS is partnering with CloudNotte to see how we can scale in this business,” Jaja said.
