MTN Foundation trains Nigerian teachers to use AI in classrooms
The MTN Foundation, in collaboration with the Senator Abiru Innovation Lab (SAIL) and Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), has launched a digital skills initiative to equip Nigerian teachers with artificial intelligence tools that can enhance classroom instruction and improve student learning.
The training is part of the 12-week SAIL Teachers Programme, which is designed to help educators integrate emerging technologies into lesson planning, content development and student assessment as schools adapt to an increasingly digital world.
During the programme’s 10th week, Data Science Nigeria’s data scientist and business analyst, Oluwatobi Olayanju, led a virtual session on AI literacy, responsible AI use and practical classroom applications.
The session brought together teachers from across the country, introducing them to AI-powered tools for lesson preparation, visual design, multimedia content creation and assessment development.
Olayanju demonstrated a variety of AI solutions, including chatbots for lesson planning, visual design platforms, text-to-video and text-to-audio tools, as well as AI-powered assessment generators aimed at improving teaching efficiency.
He noted that educators can use these technologies to create engaging lessons and enrich classroom experiences by blending traditional teaching methods with digital resources. He also highlighted tools such as NotebookLM for generating podcasts and multimedia learning materials.
Participants were also introduced to online teaching resources, including Ditch That Textbook, a platform that provides digital tools and practical resources for modern educators.
The programme featured an interactive quiz to assess participants’ understanding, with teachers reporting improvements in areas such as productivity, AI-assisted lesson planning and student assessment.
Joy Medupin, who oversees the programme’s training component for Co-Creation Hub, said the high level of engagement reflected growing enthusiasm among teachers to embrace technology-driven teaching methods.
The initiative comes as Nigeria seeks to strengthen digital capacity in its education sector. UNESCO has identified the country as home to one of the world’s largest populations of out-of-school children, while education stakeholders continue to advocate for greater investment in teacher development.
A 2022 Brookings Institution survey found that fewer than 30 per cent of teachers in sub-Saharan Africa had received digital skills training, underscoring the need to bridge the technology gap in education.
Organisers said the SAIL Teachers Programme aims to build a new generation of educators who can apply AI responsibly to improve teaching quality and learning outcomes.
