The Federal Government has directed the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to ensure that robotics and artificial intelligence are integrated into the country’s basic education curriculum.
The directive was given by Mr. Andrew David Adejo, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, during a presentation of a robotics project by the Federal Government Girls College in Sagamu, Ogun State, at the Federal Ministry of Education.
The Director and Principal of FGGC, Sagamu, Muyibat Adenike Olodo,led the College’s robotics team, made up of some students and staff members who serve as coaches, to deliver Okikiola Sagamu, a humanoid invention of the College, to the Permanent Secretary.
Mr Adejo who was impressed by the innovation of the students, said he was not surprised because the Federal Government Colleges (Unity Schools) remain the best in Nigeria.
He noted that as part of an initiative to “catch them young,” NERDC should work to integrate coding, robotics, and AI into the basic education curriculum.
The Permanent Secretary charged the students and unity schools to move further by designing AI that could take orders and serve food in restaurants, assuring them that government would be ready to support such innovation.
The Director and Principal of FGGC, Sagamu, Dr Muyibat Adenike Olodo, said efforts at exposing the students and their coaches to the current trend in the world of technology, that is, coding, AI.
Olodo added that machine learning and robotics were sowing good seeds in Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs).
She commended the founder of Coderina Education and Technology Foundation, Mr Olajide Ademola Ajayi for his mentorship and technical assistance to the team.
