Jigawa deploys AI in public schools, target rural learning revolution

Jigawa State has deployed what officials describe as a world-first Enterprise Artificial Intelligence (AI) suite across its public basic education system, in a move aimed at transforming learning outcomes in rural classrooms and strengthening data-driven governance in the education sector, Arewa PUNCH reports.

The initiative, implemented under the JigawaUNITE programme in partnership with NewGlobe, is expected to provide real-time instructional support for teachers, home-based catch-up lessons for pupils, and instant system-wide education data for policymakers.

Officials say the deployment places Jigawa among the earliest adopters of large-scale education AI systems designed specifically for public school administration in developing contexts.

Speaking on Thursday in Dutse while reflecting on outcomes from the Education World Forum held in London, the Chairman of the Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board, Prof. Haruna Musa, described the technology as a breakthrough that could redefine classroom performance across the state.

“What really excited me is the use of AI in our schools for teachers. I have seen what it can do. It is going to address the issues that have been disturbing us — all those nagging challenges,” he said.

According to him, the core objective of the reform is to improve learning outcomes through smarter support systems for teachers and better monitoring tools for administrators.

“My take home is effective utilisation of AI for improvement of learning outcomes for our learners,” Prof. Musa added.

He explained that under the JigawaUNITE framework, education managers will now be able to identify gaps in teaching and learning almost immediately, rather than waiting for weeks of manual data collection and analysis.

“The AI will help us know exactly where to intervene,” he said, adding that the system would ensure “precision support where it matters most.”

Also speaking, the Acting Managing Director of JigawaUNITE, Mr. Olusanya Omojola, said the scale of the innovation places Jigawa at the forefront of education technology adoption in Africa’s public sector.

He explained that the AI suite is designed for governments managing large education systems, allowing officials to interact with complex school data using simple language.

“The Enterprise AI suite gives state commissioners and government officials the ability to ask questions about their entire education system in plain English and receive instant answers,” Omojola said.

He noted that Jigawa is among the first jurisdictions to deploy a system known as COGNITION, described as the first product in NewGlobe’s Enterprise AI suite.

According to him, this development would significantly improve planning, accountability and resource allocation in the education sector.

“Jigawa is now ahead in data-driven education planning,” he said.

Providing further insight into the technology, the President and Co-founder of NewGlobe, Dr Shannon May said the emergence of AI presents a unique opportunity for governments building education systems from the ground up.

“The greatest opportunity in this new age of AI may be in systems that are building from scratch, free to design education infrastructure for the future rather than repair the past,” she said.

May explained that unlike legacy systems constrained by outdated digital infrastructure, the Jigawa model is being designed natively for AI integration.

“We are not trying to fix a 20-year-old siloed, cobbled digital system. We are building from scratch in the age of AI,” she added.

She disclosed that the Education World Forum in London brought together more than 125 education ministers and global stakeholders to examine emerging innovations in learning systems, including AI-powered governance tools.

May further explained that the Enterprise AI suite developed by NewGlobe operates multiple interconnected tools designed to improve both teaching and system management.

She listed the components as Extension, Reflexion, Responsive Pedagogy, Activation and Cognition, noting that Cognition is already active in Jigawa schools.

“NewGlobe spent over 15 years building digital records for every pupil and teacher, plus verified lesson delivery data,” she said.

According to her, the system enables education officials to interrogate live data from thousands of schools simultaneously, producing instant analysis that would previously have required extensive fieldwork and paperwork.

An educationist based in Jigawa, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the deployment as a “leveler” that could bridge long-standing inequality between rural and urban schools.

“This technology levels the playing field. Rural schools in Jigawa will now get the same quality of instructional support as urban centres,” he said.

He explained that one of the key components, REFLEXION, is designed to support teachers through daily coaching based on classroom performance data.

“Daily coaching through audio analysis means every teacher gets better, every day,” he noted.

The educationist also highlighted the role of EXTENSION, a feature designed to address learning disruptions common in rural communities.

“When a child misses school due to farm work or weather, AI sends lessons directly to them,” he said.

He added that this innovation could significantly reduce learning loss, particularly in communities where school attendance is frequently affected by socioeconomic and environmental factors.

According to him, the broader implication is that rural education in Jigawa may no longer lag behind urban centres if implementation is sustained effectively.

He said: “Rural classrooms will no longer be left behind. The state’s bet on AI-first education may become a model for other rural states across Nigeria.” ENDS