Abuja — A multimedia instructional technology, Scalable Multimedia in Local Education (SMILE) project is underway for public schools across the country.

The technology is expected to provide localised innovative and enterprising instructional programmes and aids to public primary and secondary schools.

The project, which is propelled by NARIDA Projects, in conjunction with a consortium of Information Technology experts, is an educational kit that is programmed to provide students with an opportunity for further learning.

An inaugural stakeholders' meeting with representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD), Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), among others, was held recently in Abuja to present the project objectives and brainstorm on practical means of accomplishing the set goals of the project.

Accordingly, the project is expected to become a national venture for a far reaching impact especially in most of the rural schools across the country but with the support of the relevant stakeholders in the education industry, while a three months pilot scheme will be launched in nomadic schools within selected northern states in Nigeria.

Chairman of NARIDA Projects, Mr. Sam Iheanacho explained that SMILE was intended to revolutionise Nigerian primary and secondary education system with localised curriculum content for easy comprehension by students of all status. He said the instructional tool was designed to serve as a databank of knowledge to schools, teachers, pupils and parents.

He added that resourceful and updated information which were streamlined in line with the national curriculum would be available for use in the SMILE kit and that it was not expected to replace the duties of teachers, but would aid their instructional activities.

The stakeholders meeting underscored the need for the Federal Ministry of Education, alongside other stakeholders in the sector to provide assistance for a successful implementation of the project, which would be managed in partnership with Bara Solutions and Technology, sole franchise holder of Edu Data in Nigeria.