Japan Commits $1M to Train 2,000 Nigerian Teachers in Digital Skills
Japan funds a $1 million mobile-based programme to train at least 2,000 teachers and school leaders across Nigeria through UNESCO-IICBA and the Federal Ministry of Education.
Japan has committed approximately US$1 million to fund a mobile-based digital skills training programme that will reach at least 2,000 teachers and school leaders across Nigeria.
The Federal Ministry of Education announced the initiative, which forms part of the African Union’s Pan African Virtual and Electronic University framework and targets improved digital literacy for educators nationwide.
The programme began with a three-day Master Training Workshop organised by the Government of Japan, UNESCO-IICBA, Pan African University and Castalia Co. Ltd. Selected master trainers will now deliver the training to at least 2,000 participants through mobile learning platforms. Workshop topics include digital literacy, Artificial Intelligence in Education, gender-responsive pedagogy, mental health awareness and the GOKU Mobile Learning Platform. Project partners donated 40 tablets and two edge computing devices to support implementation.
The initiative sits inside a wider UNESCO-IICBA project titled “Empowering Female Teachers and School Leaders in Crisis Situations through Integrating Mobile-based Learning in the PAVEU Initiative.” The project runs from March 2025 to March 2026 across Algeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria and South Sudan with a total budget of US$1,000,000. A parallel US$1,000,000 Japan-funded project supports app-based teacher development in conflict-affected areas of Ethiopia during the same period.
Japan also backs a separate capacity-building effort for teachers in West Africa that emphasises digital solutions and gender-responsive education. Under that project the Federal Government will distribute ICT equipment including 65 laptops, 71 tablets, interactive smart boards and projectors to 15 federal and state colleges of education in Nigeria.
These efforts align with Nigeria’s Education Sector Renewal Initiative and aim to address learning poverty, gender inequality and shortages of qualified teachers. The training is designed to improve continuous professional development access regardless of location and to empower female school leaders through technology.
The projects complement Nigeria’s domestic Naija Teacher AI programme, which seeks to equip 1.5 million licensed teachers with AI-powered tools. Together the international and national initiatives strengthen the foundation for wider edtech adoption and curriculum changes that include AI, robotics and digital literacy.
The Federal Government has commenced a three-day Master Training Workshop to strengthen teacher professional development through mobile-based learning, with the programme expected to reach at least 2,000 teachers and school leaders nationwide, while placing special emphasis on empowering female educators.
Implementation will expand through master trainers using mobile platforms, while hardware donations support nationwide rollout. Stakeholders will monitor participation rates and skill gains among the 2,000 targeted educators. Additional ICT equipment distribution to colleges of education is scheduled in the coming months.
