Obaseki’s educational tablets to stay, only content being upgraded – Edo govt clarifies 

The Edo State Government has dismissed rumors that it is discontinuing the digital tablets introduced under former Governor Godwin Obaseki’s EdoBEST e-learning initiative. Instead, officials revealed they are updating the educational content to align with current curriculum standards.

Mrs. Onomen Goodness Briggs, Executive Chairman of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), clarified the situation in Benin on Monday, explaining that while the hardware remains state property, the outdated learning materials are being replaced.

“I want to clarify that we are not phasing out the tablets, but we are only replacing the contents in line with the current Universal Basic Education curriculum,” Briggs stated. “The curriculum that was operating when the tablet was introduced by the immediate past government is obsolete, so we are currently developing new content to replace that.”

The EdoBEST program, launched under the previous administration, provided digital tablets and standardized lesson plans to teachers across primary and junior secondary schools to enhance digital learning. Briggs emphasized the distinction between the physical devices and their educational software:

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“The tablets the teachers are using belong to Edo State…It is about the contents and not the containers. The container is our own (tablets). We have already bought it, even though it is not in all schools in the State.”

The SUBEB chairman revealed that the original content belonged to external consultants, necessitating the development of state-owned materials to ensure long-term sustainability:

“The EdoBest issue is that the contents are the consultants’ property and not for Edo State. So, for retaining it, it means we are going to keep the consultants in the state forever and ever for us to keep using those contents.”

In an innovative move, Briggs disclosed that SUBEB staff are creating new, locally-developed educational content that could become a revenue source:

“In collaboration with my teams, we have been able to create our own content…They picked from the National Curriculum, picked from the Scheme of works, they used our books that have been approved and got the content out.”

The board is developing a digital portal for the new materials, with potential commercial applications:

“Even right now, by the grace of God, by the time we finish, those in charge of the ICT will have created a portal…When we finish, Edo State can start selling it to other states and other countries, and start making money.”

Briggs praised the in-house team developing the content, noting: “They are not from outside. They are all SUBEB staff.”

The initiative represents a shift toward self-reliance in educational technology while preserving the digital infrastructure investments of the previous administration.

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