Jigawa, Zamfara get Multichoice digital resource centres

MultiChoice Nigeria has once again demonstrated its commitment to enhancing education in Nigeria with its resource center intervention, through the donation of digital learning aids to 10 schools each in Jigawa and Zamfara states.

L-R: Taiwo Bello, Buisness Development Manager, Innovative Technology Literacy Services Limited; Hajiha Hauwa Ibrahim, Director of Resources Centre, Ministry of Education, Zamfara State; Alihaji Lawan Abubakar, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Zamfara State; and Hadizah Isah, MultiChioce Nigeria Branch Manager Kano during the launch of 10 MultiChoice Resource Centre held at Government Girls Arabic Secondary School, Gusau, Zamfara State……..recently

The intervention, a corporate social investment (CSI) initiative dubbed the MultiChoice Resource Centre (MRC) project, involves the provision of a TV set, DStv Explora decoder, satellite dish, a power generating set, uninterrupted power system (UPS), sets of chairs and tables for the laboratory, and other equipment, avails students access to educational TV channels that include: Discovery, Channel ED, National Geographic, History Channel and Mindset, at no cost to the beneficiary schools.

The project, introduced to improve the knowledge levels and understanding of technical subject areas by students, is in its twelfth year and has been launched in 363 schools in 31 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The 10 beneficiary schools in Jigawa State are; Government Model Primary/ Junior Secondary School, Kudai, Government Day Secondary School, Madobi, Government Day Arabic Secondary School, Katangu, Government Day Secondary School, Andaza, School for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Dutse, Government Girls Day (Arabic) Secondary School Baure-dutse, Government Day Secondary School Marabusawa Dutse, Government Day Secondary School Gadadin Dutse, Government Day (Capital) Secondary School Dutse and Government (Commercial) Secondary School Dutse.

While expressing appreciation to MultiChoice Nigeria for donating the resource centres to the state, the Director of Science and Technology, Jigawa State Ministry of Education, Mallam Aliu Shungurum said the state government will work hard to ensure that the centres are put to good use. He however, appealed to MultiChoice to extend the initiative to other schools across the nine educational zones in the state.

“Out of the nine educational zones that we have, only one zone is currently benefiting from the MultiChoice Resource Centre project; we appeal to MultiChoice to provide the other zones with the centre as we will work hard to ensure that all schools put the centre to good use” he said.

At the consecutive launch of the MultiChoice Resource Centre (MRC) in Gusau, Zamfara State, the state commissioner for education, Alhaji Mukhtar Lugga represented by the permanent secretary, Ministry of Education, Alhaji Lawan Abubakar, said that the MultiChoice Resource Centre is a user friendly and child-centred device which is designed to aid teaching and learning in public secondary schools across the country.

He stated: “This is a welcome development in our state’s educational sector and we cannot but ask MultChoice to consider rolling-out its resource centres in more schools in our state” he remarked.

Alhaji Abubakar, who explained that the world is now embracing digital learning processes, appealed to trained teachers to also take it upon themselves to teach other teachers so that all teachers in the state will embrace the digital learning process.

In Zamfara state, the 10 beneficiary schools are; Government Girls Day Secondary School, Samar, Gusau, Government Day Secondary School, Janyau, Government Secondary School, Maru, Government Science Secondary School, Gusau, Usman Dangwaggo Secondary School Bungudu, Government Girls Arabic Secondary School, Gusau, Sambo Secondary School, Gusau, Government Girls Unity Secondary School, Kotorkwashi, Government Secondary School, Tsafe and Government Day Secondary School, Ibrahim Gusau.

Representing John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, Hadiza Isah, MultiChoce Kano Branch Manager, said MultiChoice launched the project with a view to improving the standard of education in public schools in the country primarily, and to give back to its host community.

“MultiChoice as a company believes that improving the standard of education of its host community is one of the ways by which the company, a socially-responsible organization, can create value for the community. We have a strong conviction that the technological, economic, and socio-political advancement of any country and her future are intrinsically tied to the quality of education that the youth are exposed to. MultiChoice intends to take the learning resource centres to all the states of the federation,” she explained.

She also pointed out that MultiChoice will soon spread the resource centres to all the states in the northern region.

The MRC project, which is MultiChoice’s core Corporate Social Investment in the education sector, started in 2004 with launches in Abuja and Lagos state.