Dakar, Senegal – The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been called upon to significantly strengthen its commitment to education technology and innovation across its member states. The appeal comes as experts highlight persistent implementation challenges, particularly in countries like Nigeria, which could hinder regional progress in transforming learning outcomes.
The call was made by Jacob Kassam, an Education Technology Expert and Member of the Plateau State House of Assembly in Nigeria, during his presentation at a joint committee meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament in Dakar on Tuesday. The session, themed “Prioritizing Education Technology and Innovation in the ECOWAS Region,” focused on strategies for advancing digital learning.
Mr. Kassam pointed out that while Nigeria possesses a robust framework of education technology policies, including the National ICT Policy (2010) and the National Policy on ICT in Education (2019), it continues to face significant hurdles in full implementation. “Nigeria has demonstrated a strong commitment to ed-tech integration… but also reveals several important challenges to implementation,” he stated. These challenges include the policies not achieving stated objectives due to poor execution, a lack of awareness regarding required training among state education ministries, and difficulties in effectively measuring key performance indicators, making it hard to evaluate their contribution to education quality. “We have the policies, but implementation is the problem,” Kassam concluded, citing inadequate funding as a major impediment.
Recommendations for Regional Action
To address these gaps, Mr. Kassam recommended that ECOWAS support a comprehensive mapping of digital learning platforms across West African countries to identify disparities in access and infrastructure. He also emphasised the critical need for investment in electricity, internet connectivity, and digital devices for schools, particularly in rural communities. Further recommendations included targeted efforts to build teacher capacity through both pre-service and in-service training and fostering increased public-private partnerships to drive innovation and sustainability in educational systems.
Kassam’s observations extended to other member states, noting that Benin and Senegal currently lack specific education technology policies. Countries such as Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire, he added, are at varying stages of digital adoption, with differing levels of infrastructure, funding, and teacher training support.
ECOWAS Commission’s Perspective
Adding to the discussions, Mawuli Amoa, Acting Principal Programme Officer for Telecoms and Post Policy and Regulation at the ECOWAS Commission, delivered a presentation on “Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Education and Skills Development in West Africa.” Representing the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy & Digitalization, Sédikou Douka, Mr. Amoa underscored the transformative potential of digital innovation in education across the region.
“ECOWAS acknowledges that digitalization is a tool for addressing the challenges in the education sector and a driving force for innovation,” Mr. Amoa stated. He conceded that while “EdTech gives early childhood and primary school students more opportunities to access digital learning and creativity,” education in Africa currently suffers from a “lack of readiness to incorporate digital technologies into early learning,” citing issues such as the absence of platforms and services, costly equipment, and inexperienced teachers.
Mr. Amoa concluded by highlighting the necessity for a regionally coordinated AI policy framework that genuinely reflects African realities and values.
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