MultiChoice, in partnership with SchoolNet (a non-profit organisation of stakeholders in education), have deployed the use of digital television set as a learning tool in public schools.
This is in line with organizations’ commitment to the effective use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for enhancing teaching, learning and management processes in Nigerian schools, state Ministries of Education and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development’s (NEPAD) e-schools programme
The digital platform is being leveraged into a powerful learning tool benefitting thousands across the length and breadth of the country. This MultiChoice Resource Centre project, which began in 2004, is already in its sixth phase with a total of 141 resources centres launched in public secondary schools across 14 states of the federation, Oyo and Sokoto being the latest beneficiaries kick-starting the sixth phase.
MultiChoice Nigeria also provides training and support for teachers so that they can integrate the available content into teaching programmes to benefit all the children in their care.
Lined up in the sixth phase are: Oyo State, which was launched in September; Sokoto State, launched in October; Borno and Delta states, to be launched at a date yet to be announced. Lagos and Abuja were pioneer beneficiaries of the resource centres with four and three centres respectively. Kaduna and Enugu states had seven centres apiece in the phase two while the third, fourth and fifth phases included Cross-River, Kano (2007), Abia, Ekiti, Katsina and Bauchi (2008), Ogun, Gombe, Rivers and Kogi (2008/09) where 10 centres were donated apiece to the states.
It will be recalled that MultiChoice, opened shop in 1994 with an array of channels on its bouquets aimed at taking entertainment to another level. The company, in 2004, introduced a specially developed bouquet of seven learning channels for secondary schools with the aim of helping to revamp teaching and learning processes as well as broadening the horizon and spectra of experiential learning by equipping these schools with audio-visual equipment through which the education bouquet can be accessed.
Joseph Hundah, managing director, MultiChoice Nigeria, said that “the channels, made available to beneficiary schools at no cost, provide a rich and varied learning environment that encourages exploration and brings subject-matter to life. They provide reference and serve as a means of explaining concepts visually, noting that these resources were hitherto unavailable to these schools." He added that the channels are customised to learning and have been developed bearing in mind the learning needs and curricula of secondary school grade pupils.
Hundah said TV is still considered a drastically under-utilised teaching tool in a country like ours with the highest prevalence of urgent and otherwise unmet education needs, which to optimise the advantages of this technology, stakeholders in the education sector would have to put in place a system to guarantee the sustainability of such laudable projects as the MultiChoice Resource Centre.
According to him, It is no gainsaying that TV has come to stay as an effective disseminator of knowledge, shaper of attitudes, and motivator of recommended actions, with effective collaboration between MultiChoice Nigeria, SchoolNet, Government agencies and well-meaning Nigerians, TV will continue to be used in documented ways to bring about measured gains in the thinking skills of both the teacher and the student.
It will be recalled that the late premier of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in 1959, at the launch of Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) had said: "Television will serve as a teacher and entertainer and a stimulus to us all to transform Nigeria into a modern and prosperous nation."
It was the first time television was coming to the country. Not many people were aware of the potentials of TV as a tool for development then. 50 years after the inauguration of TV in the country, it has not stopped being a tool for national socio-political and economic development.