PRESS RELEASE
Lagos Reaffirms Commitment to Digital Learning at World Literacy Day Celebration
The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening digital learning across schools, describing it as essential for equipping students with the skills required to thrive in a fast-changing world.
The Honourable Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, stated this in his keynote address at the celebration of the 2025 World Literacy Day and President Teachers and Schools Excellence Awards organised by the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA) held on Tuesday at the NUT Pavilion, Alausa, Ikeja.
Held under the theme, “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era”, the event celebrated the transformative power of literacy while emphasizing the need to strengthen digital competence among learners and educators.
Alli-Balogun said the ministry was expanding the integration of technology in teaching and learning, focusing on teacher training, equitable digital access, and innovation-driven education.
“The leading edge in education today is digital technology,” he said. “We are promoting capacity-building for teachers, encouraging the use of AI in classrooms, and expanding digital access to ensure no child is left behind.”
The Honourable commissioner noted that the ministry had distributed thousands of learning devices to public school students, adding that the initiative was part of the long-term digital education transformation strategy of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.
He described literacy as the foundation of all learning and urged schools to balance traditional literacy skills with digital competence to prepare students for the demands of the global economy.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Abisola Dokunmu-Adegbite, commended the OEQA for sustaining its role in promoting quality education across the state.
She said that government’s education policies were designed to develop students who are not only academically sound but also socially and morally balanced.
“We have a government that believes deeply in the importance of education and continues to invest in the success of our learners. Beyond academics, we are building students who are socially, morally and culturally balanced,” she said.
Mrs. Dokunmu-Adegbite encouraged students to embrace both literacy and digital learning, describing them as critical tools for success in today’s interconnected world.
In his opening remarks, the Coordinating Director of OEQA, Mr. Remi Abdul, noted that the concept of literacy had evolved beyond reading and writing, stressing that true literacy now includes the ability to interpret information critically and use technology responsibly.
“To promote literacy today means more than ensuring that a child can read and write. It means enabling that child to interpret information critically, apply digital tools responsibly, and adapt to a technology-driven world,” he said.
He noted that the theme resonates deeply with Lagos State’s education agenda as it aligns with the THEMES+ Agenda of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration, particularly under the pillar of Human Capital Development.
Mr. Abdul identified four major ways the theme impacts the state and nation, which according to him included responding to global shifts in learning, bridging access and equity, driving economic transformation and preserving humanity in the digital age through ethical technology use.
Highlighting the activities of the day, he said each segment from essay competitions and poetry citations to debates, drama and cultural displays reflected how literacy and digital learning combine to nurture critical thinking, creativity and social consciousness in students.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Director of Research at OEQA, Mrs. Evelyn Ibukun Pelemo, described the celebration as a “testament to the power of literacy to transform individuals, communities, and nations.”
“Literacy is the foundation upon which innovation and national progress are built,” she said. “The OEQA is deliberately bridging the gap between traditional literacy and digital competence through quality assurance, collaboration and innovative learning interventions.”
She explained that the 2025 celebration was not only a platform to raise literacy awareness but also to recognize schools and individuals who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, innovation, and commitment to educational advancement.
The Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Akintoye Hassan, in his Goodwill Message commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his consistent support for the education sector, describing him as a “teacher-friendly governor.”
“If he had failed to identify with the education sector, all the efforts of the Honourable Commissioner and the Office of Education Quality Assurance would not be celebrated in Africa. His belief and commitment have ensured that we have not only accessible education but also a qualitative one.”
Speaking on the global literacy landscape, Akintoye Hassan noted that while Nigeria was not among the top ten countries in global literacy rankings, it was also not among the lowest, a position he described as evidence of progress.
Part of the highlights of the event was the presentation of Awards to schools and teachers in the primary, junior and senior Secondary categories who have been recognized for excellence in education, creativity and commitment to literacy promotion.
Special recognition awards were also presented to the Commissioner of Basic and Secondary Education, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, the Coordinating Director of OEQA, and the Lagos NUT Chairman for their outstanding contributions to educational development in Lagos State.
The event also featured a debate on the role of digital tools in modern learning, poetry recitations, drama performances, Choral Performance and Cultural Display by students from selected schools among others.
The event had in attendance the Six District Education Coordinating Directors of OEQA, the Departmental Heads of OEQA ,the Baale of Otumara, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye amongst others.
Adepeju Adeyemi
DD, PA
15-October-2025.
