7 November 2007
Lagos — The Government Junior Secondary School, Jabi wore the face of a carnival. The students were in ecstasy, performing cultural dances from different parts of the country, with the principal of the school herself adding plume colour as she danced along with the various groups.
It was their day and you had to let them have a qualified dose of kindergarten joy. It is not everyday you have the Intel chairman as guest of honour, right in your midst with his adorable wife.
Intel is a Fortune 500 company, world leader in Semiconductors with 2006 revenue yield of $35, 382bn, more than the returns of a number of African countries put together.
Mr. Craig Barrett is in Nigeria to greenlight a number of projects that his organization, Intel has jointly put in place with the Nigerian government.
Having just demonstrated a Telemedicine facility at the National Hospital, Abuja, Barret is at Jabi, a suburb of Abuja to formally launch the Classmate PC, a novel invention one laptop for student and teacher, which it had test run in the Nigerian school for about two years.
On this hot morning, Barrett and his team are riding on the streets of Abuja in a bus, and got into the Jabi venue quite early. Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, President of the African Business Roundtable came in the same convoy but in a car.
The last of the ministers, FCT Minister, Dr. Aliu Modibo Umaru came over two hours after Barrett had been seated watching the enthusiasm of the students. He too came in a bus but the 4-Runners were in tow. All others came in 4-Runners with some unoccupied ones for effect. Before they come to a halt the security men are jumping out of opened doors to quickly get the back doors opened.
The Intel chairman is seated watching all this but he is over-joyed today because Intel has been able to prove that one system can be useful to the teachers and students in the pursuit of education.
But the attitude of the government officials, which is a peculiar display of power in the continent, cannot be over-looked. Some call it the conspicuous vulgarity of state power. Others call it the black man's syndrome. Oh just look at it: a situation where one person commands over ten cars and other buses in his convoy even when most of the high schools in the country have no roofs over them, not to talk of computers, cannot be something very pleasant to the human psyche.
Like in most other things, for instance, the Intel Inside of every computer, the organization again got this right. Speaking exclusively earlier in the day to Hi Tech, Barrett had spoken of his joy and the opportunity to be making history in Nigeria by personally launching the Classmate PC by himself.
The Classmate PC is very much in the heart of Intel World Ahead programme over which it has pledged $1bn in the next five years to accelerate access to computers, the Internet and rich local content for people in developing countries.
The four focus areas are: accessibility, connectivity, education and content. In these areas, Barrett explained, Intel joins resources with government and local operators to make technology available; ensure connectivity usually through WiMAX which can deliver even in remote areas, and ensure proper education through rich content that infuses local content.
The Proof of Concept (PoC) Project of the Classmate PC was launched after years of test in the Nigerian school.
The test period was aimed at researching students' reactions and susceptibility to one-on-one experiences with the Classmate Personal Computer, CMPC, and how effectively this technology integrates within existing teaching methods. In the school, teachers used the Classmate PC along with Intel Skool software to help students with various subjects including English, Mathematics, Applied Sciences and Introductory Technology.
The programme has been a resounding success. In Nigeria Intel has trained about 8, 000 teachers, according to Barrett and another 150, 000 have been slated for the next few years.
In his words: "Computers are not magic but teachers are the real magic in the classroom."
This essentially is what makes the Classmate PC different from Negroponte's One Laptop per Child, OLPC, whose emphasis is on the child having access to a cheap computer device. For the Classmate PC, the teacher plays a vital role as he must first be educated before passing the knowledge to the students. Both teachers and students will have their PCs under the project. While OLPC supports one education model, the Classmate PC is part of a solution to train the teachers and provide rich content for education.
At the centre of the project is pricing. While Intel has a $200 price tag, Negroponte had originally planned for $100 but at the moment the price is climbing close to $200.
Fortunately, initial differences have given way to mutual respect for each other and Intel is contributing to, and promoting One Laptop per Child just as it is growing the Classmate PC. Intel chairman was optimistic that such relationship is good for the industry as it will help to create and market and provide choices for those who want to patronize the low cost technology. Either way, a market is being created which others can benefit from.
"For us it doesn't matter which device a government needs as long as it addresses educational needs," Intel Vice President, Bruce Sewell had told us the previous day.
Pleased with developments in Nigeria the Intel chairman announced a further donation of 3, 000 Classmate PCs to the Nigerian government.
"We are looking forward to continue this progress in Nigeria. I consider this the first step in a long journey," Barrett said looking at the students he called the future of Nigeria.
In reaction to the mixed feelings among channel partners in Nigeria before his visit, the Intel chairman said Intel has not come to take business from them but to grow the sector so that all parties can benefit.
Calling the Classmate PC "a reference design," Sewell explained that when they get into projects anywhere in the world, they like to work with the locals who can add value to the system. He added that Intel was ever ready to work with Nigerian operators who can invest in research and collaborate with the organization.
"We are not in it because we want to make money from that, we want to encourage other people to come into the business with us," Sewell said.
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