Girls Left Behind: How Digital Learning Can Expand Educational Opportunities for Marginalised Girls, ,
Millions of girls in Nigeria remain excluded from education due to poverty, insecurity and other social barriers. However, digital learning platforms and artificial intelligence are creating new opportunities for marginalised girls to continue learning, acquire vocational skills and improve their future prospects. Funmi Ogundare writes
For millions of girls across Nigeria, access to education remains a daily struggle. Poverty, early marriage, insecurity, cultural barriers and household responsibilities continue to keep many girls out of school, limiting their chances of building better futures.
Yet, emerging digital technologies are offering new hope. Through online learning platforms, mobile applications and artificial intelligence-powered tools, girls who might otherwise be left behind are finding new pathways to education, skills development and economic empowerment.
One such beneficiary is Bisola Abolaji, a computer and graphic design student at the Ruth Aina Ataiyero Foundation Skills Acquisition and Vocational Training Centre, Ilesha, Osun State.
Her story illustrates the transformative potential of digital learning for girls seeking opportunities beyond traditional classrooms.
Soft-spoken but determined, Abolaji chose graphic design because of her fascination with creative works such as banners, flyers, books and other visual materials.
“I like graphic design because of the things designers create, such as flyers, banners, books and jotters,” she stated.
What began as a personal interest has evolved into a valuable vocational skill. Today, Abolaji designs logos, banners and flyers for clients, earning income while continuing her training.
A key factor in her journey has been the Learning Passport, a digital learning platform that provides educational resources and self-paced learning opportunities. According to her, the platform has helped her understand lessons better through detailed explanations and assessments that allow learners to monitor their progress.
“It has made a difference in my education. The lessons are explained deeply and in a way that helps you understand. The tests also help you know whether you are improving,” she said.
For girls who may face interruptions to their education due to family responsibilities, financial challenges, or limited access to schools, digital platforms offer flexibility that conventional learning often cannot provide. Learners can revisit lessons, learn at their own pace and access educational materials whenever they are able.
Abolaji noted that she also embraced AI as a tool for creativity and productivity, helping her improve her designs and expand her capabilities, adding that through AI, she can create logos, banners, and flyers and do “small design jobs for people and earn money from them”.
Wunmi Adebayo, 15, is another school leaver at the same vocational centre who has made her waiting period a season of growth, learning, and self-improvement, thanks to the Learning Passport digital education platform.
Having completed her secondary education in 2025, Adebayo was determined not to allow financial constraints or admission delays to interrupt her educational journey. Instead of remaining idle, she turned to Learning Passport, a digital learning platform that is helping thousands of young people continue their education beyond the classroom, using it to design banners and even make shoes for customers. She told THISDAY how the programme has transformed her daily routine and expanded her horizon.
Like many students from modest backgrounds, Adebayo understands the importance of making every opportunity count. With her parents engaged in small-scale occupations, she knows that education remains one of the most reliable pathways to a brighter future.
Rather than viewing the gap year as a setback, she has used it as an opportunity to sharpen her academic skills, explore new subjects and remain connected to learning.
The flexibility of the Learning Passport platform has been particularly valuable. Through digital devices and online educational resources, she can access lessons and learning materials at her own pace, regardless of location or time.
“I wanted something that would help me continue learning and prepare for the future. This programme has given me that opportunity,” she said.
Director of the centre, Olanubi Fadahunsi, explained to journalists that the institution was established to offer practical skills and productive engagement for young people who are unable to continue their education immediately after secondary school.
According to her, of the 48 trainees who graduated from the centre in its first year of operation, the majority were out-of-school children and youths, while the remaining participants were students awaiting admission to tertiary institutions.
“In my record last year, about 70 per cent of those we graduated were out-of-school children. The remaining 30 per cent were those waiting for admission into universities. Rather than staying idle at home, we engaged them here,” she stated.
Fadahunsi noted that vocational education can be a critical intervention to reduce the number of out-of-school children by equipping them with employable and entrepreneurial skills.
She explained that the centre currently has about 28 trainees enrolled in various programmes, including fashion design, catering and event planning, ICT, plumbing, hairdressing and makeup artistry, and entrepreneurship training.
Fadahunsi said that the centre is also leveraging digital learning tools to enhance training delivery. She noted that the introduction of the Learning Passport platform has enabled trainees to complement classroom instruction with self-paced learning.
To attract more out-of-school children and youths, the centre conducts awareness campaigns through churches, radio programmes, schools and community networks.
“We also tell PTAs to encourage students who are waiting for admission not to waste their time at home but to come and acquire skills,” she said.
Fadahunsi restated that all programmes at the centre are provided free of charge, including registration, training materials and practical sessions. Despite funding constraints, Fadahunsi said that the centre remains committed to supporting disadvantaged youths. She revealed that some graduates received empowerment support last year, including business equipment and shop spaces to help them establish their own ventures.
Statistics released by UNICEF on digital learning in Nigeria revealed that about 38 million Nigerian youths currently lack digital literacy skills, while approximately 1.5 million teachers lack basic digital competencies, raising concerns about the country’s readiness for a technology-driven economy.
UNICEF noted that despite the federal government’s target of achieving 70 per cent digital literacy by 2027 and 95 per cent by 2030, access to digital learning opportunities remains limited for many children and young people.
The organisation’s findings showed that 82 per cent of Nigerians lack internet access at home, while only 27 per cent of schools are equipped with computers. The situation is more pronounced in rural communities, where just six per cent of schools have computers compared with 37 per cent in urban areas.
Although internet access has improved nationally, UNICEF reported that only 55 per cent of Nigerians have internet access, with a significant disparity between urban areas, where 84 per cent of residents are connected, and rural communities, where access stands at 25 per cent.
The report also highlighted a widening digital skills gap among young Nigerians. According to UNICEF, 78 per cent of Nigerian youths lack digital skills, significantly higher than the global average of 63 per cent. In addition, more than half of non-internet users identified digital illiteracy as a major barrier to accessing online services and opportunities.
Teacher capacity remains another major challenge, with only 47 per cent of teachers considered computer-literate, which limits the effective integration of technology into teaching and learning.
Beyond digital access, UNICEF identified broader challenges affecting educational outcomes across the country. These include limited access to quality education delivered in languages children understand, inadequate learning materials, poor infrastructure, and shortages of qualified teachers.
The organisation further noted that many learners lack proper records of their educational achievements, while teachers often have limited access to professional development opportunities and psychosocial support resources for children.
The findings come against the backdrop of Nigeria’s youth unemployment crisis. UNICEF data indicate that 42 per cent of young people aged 15 to 34 are unemployed, even as nearly half of employers report difficulty finding workers with the skills required in the labour market.
According to UNICEF, addressing these challenges will require increased investment in education, improved digital infrastructure, expanded teacher training programmes, and greater access to foundational literacy, numeracy, and digital skills development initiatives.
Speaking with journalists, recently, at a two-day media dialogue on Digital Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Skill Development for out-of-school children, organised by Osun State Ministry of Education, in collaboration with UNICEF, UNICEF Education Specialist, Harold Kpojime, harped on the deeper structural issues, stating, “The challenge is not just enrolment. It is retention, transition and completion. Unless children are kept in school and supported through to completion, enrolment figures alone will not solve the crisis.”
He noted that the country faces the prospect of a workforce unprepared for a technology-driven global economy, unable to compete internationally, and condemned to low productivity and poverty.
UNICEF Chief of Field Officer for South-West Nigeria, Celine Lafoucriere, warned that the rapid advancement of technology and Artificial Intelligence is widening the gap between children with access to education and those without it, stressing that young people who lack foundational skills risk being left behind in an increasingly digital world.
Lafoucriere noted that girls remain disproportionately affected by the education crisis, adding that they are often the most disadvantaged among out-of-school children. She, however, underscored the critical role of the media in driving change, saying that sustained reporting on the issue could compel policymakers and other stakeholders to take action.
“When journalists keep coming back to an important issue, like this week after week, people start paying attention. Policymakers listen, politicians listen, and stakeholders listen. That is how things change. A story that does not go away is a story that gets acted upon,” Lafoucriere stated.
, Education – THISDAYLIVE, June 9, 2026, 11:14 pm
