How Innovative Practices Are Improving Learning in the  Nigeria Education System 

By Olawumi Kosoko

The nature of teaching has experienced a series of changes over the years, since the beginning of formal education in the colonial period to date, schools have employed the standard  to meet the needs of modern students. The meaning of education has changed from just the process where teachers or tutors impact information and knowledge and the students listen. In today’s world, various schools are now paying closer attention to the details of how students understand lessons, their way of communication and how even the teachers can improve their methods of teaching. All these changes are obvious in the modern classroom activities, curriculum, the use of technology and other extracurricular activities that help enhance the learning growth of the students. 

A good example that serves as a reflection of the changes in the Nigerian teaching or education system is seen in the work of Olubunmi Mercy Odiaka. Olubunmi Mercy Odiaka is a Nigerian educationist, early childhood educator, and a phonic consultant. Through her initiative ‘Wholistic Edu-Consult’ she has improved teaching skills  with several community-based workshops and training sessions, where she works interactively with teachers to improve different forms of classroom skills in a practical way. The classroom skills such as phonics, diction prowess, child psychology and communication with the learners. Olubunmi Mercy Odiaka is one of those education professionals who plays a very essential role by being part of a growing movement where professionals in the education system support teachers with sophisticated training beyond their usual formal school system.  Apart from all her contributions to equipping Nigerian children through her activities, especially in Lagos, Olubunmi Mercy Odiaka’s initiatives give more to teachers. She believes that teaching is not just a profession, but a calling that needs ever-ready humans. Her Teacher’s Leadership Conference has impacted a thousand teachers since inception. Olubunmi Mercy Odiaka is a problem-solver whose initiatives should be supported. 

Also, is the Bridge International Academies, a group of private schools in Nigeria founded by Shannon May and Phil Frei in 2007. Shannon May is an education entrepreneur whose attention is specifically drawn to creating low-cost, high-quality schools for children in low-income communities and also, Phil Frei who co-founded Bridge International Academies helps to build a teaching model that enables schools to reach many students effectively in their learning process. They employed new methods and approaches towards teaching in Nigeria. One special thing about their initiative or group of private schools is their use of technology to aid teachers’ prowess. They allow the teachers to follow laid down digital lesson plans and make use of their tablets to regulate and organize their teaching sessions. Bridge International Academies has over the years improved the classroom learning in Nigeria by showing how technology and precise teaching methods can make education better in Nigeria. This inclusion of technology also has really changed teaching and learning experiences in the Nigerian education system. Some of the schools now employ the usage of digital skills such as projectors, tablets, and sophisticated online learning tools during lessons. These tools have enabled learning to be easier and more interesting. 

The influence of Leap Africa, founded by Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli can’t go unnoticed in the development of education in Nigeria. Leap Africa is a non-profit organization who works with the ability to teach students the essence of leadership skills, this makes sure they’re not only limited to academic knowledge but train them to be future leaders too. This is evident in the works of Leap Africa in enhancing the education system in Nigeria. Leap Africa runs several programmes in schools and communities to enlighten and educate students about the importance of leadership and teamwork. Most of Leap Africa activities include school clubs, training sessions that help the students to gain confidence and also leadership workshops for the youth. This initiative has helped students in Nigeria focus not only on academic learning but also on the skill of life by encouraging the students to involve themselves in decision making and community projects. 

Also, extracurricular activities have become a very important aspect of education in many schools in Nigeria. Schools now engage in activities such as the debating clubs, drama groups. music classes, sports among others. Programmes like this reveal how learning goes beyond the usual classroom setting. 

It is important to note that teaching in Nigeria is drifting from the traditional classroom style to a more modern and technologically advanced style where schools now pay close attention to the communication skills of their students, technology usage, extracurricular activities, and also advanced ways of training their teachers. The existence of educators and trainers, including professionals in the field like Olubunmi Mercy Odiaka, Bridge International Academies, Leap Africa among others, expose how people in the education sector are trying their best to improve teaching and learning. These rapid changes indicate how the Nigerian education system is adjusting to build and prepare students for the modern world and the ability to compete academically and socially with their counterparts or colleagues around the globe.