Rev Niyi Adebayo launches free digital literacy for rural schools, targets 1, 500 students - ‘Unprecedented,’ commissioner hails

Rev Niyi Adebayo launches free digital literacy for rural schools, targets 1, 500 students – ‘Unprecedented,’ commissioner hails

Femi OGUNLANA

Rev’d (Dr) Niyi Adebayo, a prime mover in the educational cum socio-cultural milieu development of Ogbomoso, Oyo state, has launched a free digital literacy training programme in Ogbomosoland, which he explained is in tandem with one of the visions of the Soun of Ogbomosoland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III.

Rev Dr Niyi Adebayo

The programme launched May 1, was borne out of his experience during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) which began recently, in which he discovered that many candidates especially from underserved, rural areas though knew the answers to the questions flunked the exam due to having problem with operating the computers and unfamiliarity with the CBE system environment.

Rev Niyi Adebayo (“RNA”), who is proprietor of the first private CBT centre in Ogbomosoland, Jacob Afolayanka Adebayo Resource Centre, noted this discovery became a burden to him because as he put it “many brilliant and deserving students could forfeit tertiary institution admission on account of lack of digital illiteracy, which will drag our community back years.”

“That is the reason I conceived and launched the free digital literacy training for students in underserved communities of Ogbomosoland. We inaugurated the programme on May 1. The Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Olusegun Olayiwola, the leadership of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) and of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) among other educational stakeholders were present at the launch.”

The Commissioner, in his remark, commended the initiative, submitting it’s unprecedented in southwest Nigeria and advocated its adoption throughout the country. “This type of school-to-school digital literacy outreach is the first of its kind by a non-governmental organization in South West Nigeria, and it should be replicated across the country.”

Watch RNA speaks on the initiative

The programme aims at training 75 students (SS 1 to SS3) in selected schools with a target of 500 students per term translating to 1, 500 students per session.

“During the 2026 UTME (JAMB) mock exercise, I saw a huge number of students from rural areas and community secondary schools struggling to operate computers. Many of them were coming in contact with the computer for the first time during that exam. That explains one of the reasons candidates from those areas hardly score good grades,” Rev Adebayo noted in a statement.

“Already, by the grace of God, I built the second largest privately-owned CBT Centre in Nigeria in September, 2025. It’s a 650-capacity ICT/Resource Centre named after my late father, Jacob Adebayo Afolayanka Resource Centre, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

“God inspired me to give back to the rural community through my NGO Brand: “The RNA Brand.”

“I held meetings with the Honourable Commissioner for Education in Oyo State and his cabinet together with principals of secondary schools in Ogbomosoland and the NUT leadership. The scheme was flagged off by the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Oyo State on May 1, 2026 at the Amazing Grace Garden, Oke-Aanu, Ogbomoso.”

Adebayo, who is also the proprietor of the Zoe Schools, informed the programme had started Tuesday, at Tewure Grammar School, in Oriire local government area, while it would continue Wednesday at Olugbon Community High School in Surulere local government.

According to the man of God, the programme would be at no cost to the benefitting schools informing they only need to provide space. “This is at no cost to the host schools; they only need to provide space for us. We have raised a team skilled in computer and ICT. In all, a minimum of 500 students will be trained per term. We will do this by moving 100 laptops in our reserve, a LED Screen, internet connectivity, generator and other gadgets to the hosting schools. There’s no financial implications on the hosting schools and the students,” he said.

He added the training was structured to have immediate feedback and carry out assessment of its outcome.

“After the training, we conducted CBT exams for 75 students with many of them scoring 75%, 70% and so on, despite the fact that 90% of them were working on the computer for the first time.”

The development it was learnt gladdened “The PTA Exco, representatives of the Old Students Association, students and teachers; they were too excited. We made them know that it’s part of the vision of His Majesty, the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III. I am so glad to give those students hope.”

Meanwhile, RNA calls for collaboration and partnership from government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), groups and individuals, asserting, “We can cover all our 92 public secondary schools in Ogbomosoland and in other places outside of Ogbomoso zone effectively. Individuals and groups are free to collaborate with us to sponsor students for the outreach, it will go a long way in achieving the goal. It will help to rescue destinies.”

He maintained it is a way of giving back to the society and a social responsibility, that will enhance access to higher education, noting however it had nothing to do with marketing his CBT Centre, JAARC.