EDO GOVT DENIES PHASING OUT OBASEKI’S E-LEARNING TABLETS
The Edo State Government has moved to clarify ongoing speculation regarding the fate of the educational tablet initiative introduced by the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki. Rumors had been circulating that Governor Monday Okpebholo’s government was phasing out the digital learning devices in public primary and junior secondary schools. However, the Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs. Onomen Goodness Briggs, categorically denied these claims in an interview with journalists in Benin City.
Briggs explained that the digital tablets, part of the EdoBEST programme, remain a core component of the state’s basic education system. What is changing, she said, is the educational content housed on the devices. According to her, the existing material had become outdated, as it was built around an older version of the Universal Basic Education curriculum. “We are not phasing out the tablets, we are updating the software. The content belongs to external consultants, and relying on them permanently is neither sustainable nor strategic,” she said.
She further disclosed that a new ICT portal is being developed to house updated content created by local educators in collaboration with the board. The goal, she noted, is not only to modernize learning but to position Edo State as a content provider for other states and countries in the future. “We are creating a platform that reflects our own curriculum and teaching needs,” Briggs said, adding that the government was also investing in teacher training to ensure effective use of the revamped digital tools.
