Frances Ovia-George
1 August 2007
Lagos — As part of the strategic plans to move the One-Laptop Per-Child (OLPC) initiative from the realm of dream to reality, the coordinator of the project in Nigeria and Alteq.ict have conducted a test-run at the L.E.A Galadima Primary School, Gwarimpa, Abuja.
The initiator of the project, Professor Nicolas Negroponte had visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo on how the project will give an unprecedented boost for the ICT and technology advancement for the county.
A statement made available to THISDAY said that the focus of the OLPC is to ensure children of the poor in public schools have greater access to ICT and are digitally literate in a bid to make them globally competitive in the emerging global economy.
The pilot project at L.E.A Galadima school, according to Mr. Tomi Davies, Chief Operating Officer, Alteq.ict was to find a rural primary school lacking the amenities developed countries considered very basic (including electricity, water, Internet connectivity, toilet facilities and modern buildings) and transform it into a digitally literate and ICT compliant environment.
"This is in order to assist in testing the global viability of the noble and humanitarian One Laptop Per Child Initiative pioneered by Nicolas Negroponte', he said.
During one of his visits to Nigeria Negroponte had disclosed that he was more interested in working with relevant stakeholders in the country and other developing nations to ensure that the abundant socio-economic benefits in ICT is maximized and in achieving this objective the children who are the future generation must be centerpiece. According to him "Computing is not about computers any more. It is about living,"
In the same vein, Davies who is a major promoter of the OLPC initiative in Nigeria noted, "Today people are not illiterate because they cannot read and write, but because they are not digitally literate. If the present generation largely missed out we must not allow our children to be behind their mates elsewhere in the world' he explained.
He also said in the statement that Nigeria will be better for it as investment in children is an investment into the future of this great country adding that it makes greater economic sense for government to buy one laptop for $175 dollar per child because it's return on investment will be very huge as a greater number of the children will maximize the opportunity to become ICT professionals in future.
The technologies used in creating the laptops (widely regarded as XOs) are open-source (cost-free and community-owned), which makes them highly configurable, scalable and compatible within diverse settings.
OLPC espouses five core principles: child ownership; low ages; saturation; connection; and free and open source. The XOs are designed by seasoned hardware, software, content and design specialists. They have screens that are visible and intelligible under powerful sunlight and are strong and reliable computers that can withstand potential rough handling by children living in the world's most rural and, remote environments.
Initially only Primary 4, 5 and 6 students at Galadima received laptops but with the relaunch of the pilot scheme the entire school (including Primary 1, 2 and 3 students) are equipped with XOs and the teachers.
The laptops have now been proven to complement and support the Primary School learning environment and allow children to constructively and competently undertake tasks that were previously impossible to accomplish with their limited knowledge and exposure to Information and Communication Technologies.
The event sponsored by the Dr. Ndidi Ndoli Edozie led Growing Business Foundation also an ardent supporter of OLPC), was graced by representatives from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Universal Basic Education (UBE), the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of Galadima, Alteq.ict, and other stakeholders in public education.
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