Too Much Tech is Not the Problem: How We Use It Is

For years, the future of education has been painted as a completely digital one. Smart classrooms, tablets replacing textbooks, Google Docs and Classroom replacing notes on teachers’ desks, and even robot teachers, all to groom a generation of children who can use technology almost as naturally as they breathe.

And in Nigeria, this future often feels like something we are still trying to catch up to. We celebrate schools that introduce more technology into their classrooms. A school adopts an AI-powered learning platform and it becomes a selling point. Another puts tablets in students’ hands and suddenly it is seen as being ahead of the curve. For a country that has spent decades trying to close the digital divide, technological advancement can feel synonymous with educational advancement.

But there is an interesting shift happening elsewhere. Some education systems that once enthusiastically embraced classroom technology are beginning to ask whether more technology necessarily means better education. Schools and governments in parts of Europe and elsewhere have introduced restrictions on smartphones, tablets and other digital devices in classrooms. For example, the Norwegian Government has announced restrictions around generative AI tools in elementary schools and tighter rules around AI usage in higher education, citing concerns about declining education standards and over-reliance on AI at basic education levels. In New York City, Mayor Mamdani has announced a crackdown on AI and digital reliance in classrooms amid concerns about a literacy crisis in America.

As other Western countries follow suit, why have we Nigerians not gotten the message yet?

The question is no longer simply, “Can technology improve education?” It is becoming: “When does technology stop helping education and start getting in the way of it?”

When something has historically been unavailable to you, having more of it feels like progress. So when a school announces that it is incorporating artificial intelligence into its curriculum, our first instinct may be to celebrate the innovation rather than ask what problem the technology is actually solving.

There is an uncomfortable irony here. Nigeria is still trying to catch up to a digital world that some countries are beginning to reconsider. This is not because Nigerians are incapable of questioning technology. Technology can solve real problems in Nigerian education. It can make resources more accessible, connect students to information beyond their classrooms, support teachers and create opportunities for children with limited access to learning materials. But our enthusiasm for technology can sometimes come from a different place: scarcity.

There is nothing inherently wrong with a child learning how to use technology. In fact, it is increasingly important that they do. The issue is not whether children should use technology, but whether they are being taught how to use it well. A child learning to use an AI tool is not necessarily the same as a child learning to think critically. However, questioning an AI-generated answer, verifying information, protecting personal data and recognising when AI should not be used are forms of digital literacy too.

• Are students learning better?
• Are they reading more?
• Are they developing stronger writing and critical-thinking skills?
• And perhaps just as importantly, are they being taught how to use these tools safely, responsibly and effectively?
• Do they understand what they are being taught, or are they simply becoming better at operating the tools that deliver it?
• And perhaps just as importantly, are they being taught how to use these tools safely, responsibly and effectively?

There is nothing inherently wrong with a child learning how to use technology. In fact, it is increasingly important that they do. The issue is not whether children should use technology, but whether they are being taught how to use it well. A child learning to use an AI tool is not necessarily the same as a child learning to think critically. However, questioning an AI-generated answer, verifying information, protecting personal data and recognising when AI should not be used are forms of digital literacy too.

A child who can instantly generate an essay may not know how to construct an argument. A child who can ask AI to explain a difficult concept may still struggle to sit with a difficult problem long enough to figure it out themselves. But that same AI tool can also help a student approach a difficult concept from another angle, practise what they have learned or get additional explanations when a teacher is unavailable. The difference is not necessarily the technology itself. It is how the technology is used.

In this age, there is value in knowing when a digital tool can make those education easier and more effective, but it comes with a catch: just how that technology is being used. Is it being used to develop digitally skilled students, or is it replacing the job of the teachers?

So What Now?

This does not mean Nigerian schools should abandon technology; there are enormous opportunities for AI and digital tools to improve education, particularly in a country where resources and access to education are unevenly distributed.

But perhaps the goal should not be to make education as equal as possible. Perhaps the goal should be to make it as effective as possible.

The danger of the digital divide is not simply that Nigeria may be behind other countries technologically. It is that, in our eagerness to catch up, we might mistake what is newer for what is better. But the answer is not to deny children access to technology altogether. It is to make sure that when they have access to it, they have the knowledge and judgment to use it safely and effectively.

The question Nigerian schools should be asking is not, “How much technology can we put into our classrooms?” It is: “What kind of technology actually helps our children learn, and are we teaching them how to use it responsibly?”

Because if the rest of the world is beginning to reconsider what it means to make education digital, perhaps Nigeria should not blindly rush to become more digital simply because we finally can.

And perhaps, alongside all of this, we should be asking another question: Can we make learning even more fun?

Kidi is fun, curious, full of energy, and always ready for his next adventure. And the best part? He wants to take you along with him.

From exciting challenges to new discoveries, games, learning moments and a few surprises along the way, Kidi is here to make learning feel a lot more fun.

You’ll be seeing a lot more of him around here, so get ready to explore, learn, play and discover with Kidi.

This is only the beginning.

What do you think about technology’s role in education? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

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