Google, in conjunction with the Kaduna State Government, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and Data Science Nigeria, has created an animated video series that will educate students how to use AI tools in Hausa. This was in a bid to help children put AI tools to good use.
Acting Director, Digital Literacy and Capacity Building at NITDA, Yusuf Tambuwal, claimed it was an applaudable initiative, comparing it to how countries such as India and China use their local languages in teaching. “We insist on doing things in English, but it is not the model used by some other parts of the world. China and India, for example, taught their population in their local languages,” he said.
It should be recalled that back in 2017, the late Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, former Minister of Science and Technology, attempted the same move. This was to teach primary and secondary school students science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in local languages to cultivate interest in those subjects. However, it failed as a result of the various languages in the country, which may result in the exclusion of students who do not understand the teachers’ language.
On the other hand, in the case of the 40-video series containing seven-minute long videos that teach AI, it only focuses on AI and can be used exclusively by students who understand Hausa.
