Hong Kong, China <30 June 2020> – KaiOS Technologies today announced that its smart feature phones are being distributed across the state of Lagos to help school children continue their education during the COVID-19 lock-down period – and supplement their learning once schools re-open.
The initiative has been led by Robert and John Ltd, a Nigerian innovative Research & Development company, in partnership with the Lagos State Government and KaiOS.
The First Bank of Nigeria Ltd is sponsoring the first batch of 20,000 KaiOS-enabled devices which come with activated MTN data SIM cards. These devices are being distributed to school children from low-income families (where household income is below US$100 a month) who have one year of state secondary school left. Communal solar panels are being installed at central places within the villages so that the devices can easily be charged.
These smart feature phones running on KaiOS will have the Roducate app – and a handful of other useful apps preloaded. Access to other content will be blocked so the device will be solely for educational purpose.
Designed and developed by Robert and John, Roducate is the first mobile learning app in Nigeria with all the approved curriculum materials for Primary, Secondary and select University courses. It was launched in 2014 and is fully endorsed by Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC), National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB), African Union, and Microsoft.
Roducate gives students access to full curriculum-based lecture notes, assignments, tutorial videos, podcasts, and mock exams with answers for state and nation-wide exams at all levels. The content can be downloaded onto the KaiOS phone and used online or offline.
Speaking from his office during a ceremony to mark the distribution of the first 20,000 smart feature phones, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, requested that private companies in Lagos and beyond contribute to the initiative, with a target to sponsor 300,000 devices to school children in the coming months.
He also said “I am proud that Lagos State is taking the lead in Nigeria in using innovative technology to help improve the education of the next generation. I am grateful to Robert and John for developing this impactful app, KaiOS for supporting the platform that integrates well the Roducate app and other essential content in affordable smart feature phones – and to First Bank for funding the first KaiOS devices”.
Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, Lagos State Commissioner for Education,said “The pandemic may well bring permanent changes to how we teach. We need to use every channel possible to reach children including e-learning.”
Mr Femisola Awosika, CEO, Robert and John, said: “Smart feature phones enabled by KaiOS are the best device for the target demographic for this project; the children of low-income families. They have been specifically designed to minimise data usage with a long-life battery. Lagos is the pace-setter embracing new technologies to help improve the quality of education. We hope that the other states in Nigeria – and indeed countries across Africa – are watching carefully”.
Sebastien Codeville, CEO of KaiOS Technologies, said: “This is an impressive e-learning initiative that has launched at a time when so many children are not at school. It fits perfectly with our mission to provide connectivity and services to the hundreds of millions of Africans who still don’t have access to the internet. Roducate provides everything the children in Nigeria need to continue their education at a very high standard.”
Robert & John is currently working with First Bank Plc, the Lagos State government, as well as other state governments and private institutions in Nigeria to secure more funding for additional KaiOS devices.
About Robert and John Ltd
Headquartered in Lagos, Robert and John is an innovative research and development company that uses technology to address social problems in Nigeria – and across Africa.
Its flagship product, the Roducate educational app, was originally designed for Nigerian students, however, it can be customised to include the curriculums of other countries so that e-learning can be introduced – or expanded.
About KaiOS Technologies
KaiOS Technologies powers an ecosystem of affordable digital products and services and exists to empower people around the world through technology. Its flagship product, KaiOS, is the leading mobile operating system for smart feature phones – and the third-largest mobile operating system in the world – with more than 135 million devices shipped in over 150 countries.
Kai’s mission is to open up new possibilities for individuals, organizations, and societies by bringing mobile connectivity to the billions of people without internet in emerging markets, as well as providing those in established markets with an alternative to smartphones.
KaiOS is based on HTML5 and other open web technologies. Devices running on the platform require limited memory, while still offering a rich user experience through access to apps like Google Assistant, WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, and Google Maps.
For more information, please visit www.kaiostech.com and www.twitter.com/KaiOSTech.
KaiOS Media Contact
Eletta Leung / Bridget Fishleigh
eletta.leung@kaiostech.com / bridget@telecomsprafrica.com +44 7946 342 903
This is superlatwe. It’s the kid of edtech initiatives to be encouraged all over Africa, rather than any government official or educator making discouraging blanket statements on e-learning in Nigeria.