Editorial note: This article describes the Opon Imo e-learning initiative as it was introduced in 2013. The project was designed during the early growth of digital learning in Nigerian public schools. Although technology and educational devices have changed considerably since then, Opon Imo remains an important example of an early large-scale e-learning initiative in Nigeria.
The Opon Imo Initiative
The Osun State Government, as part of its efforts to meet the educational needs of students in the state, commissioned a Project Management Office to deliver a technology-based learning system.
The system was called Opon Imo Technology Enhanced Learning System, or OTELS. “Opon Imo” is translated as Tablet of Knowledge.
The original plan was to provide 150,000 customised Android tablets to students in public senior secondary schools across the state.
The tablets operated as stand-alone learning devices. This meant that students could access most of their educational content without an internet connection.
Learning Materials on the Tablet
Opon Imo contained self-paced offline courses presented in an interactive computer-based learning environment.
electronic textbooks;
tutorial materials;
past examination questions;
practice tests;
images and videos; and
other reference materials.
The device was designed to help students prepare for school examinations and external examinations such as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
The availability of past questions from previous years was one of the most attractive features of the tablet. Students could practise examination questions without having to purchase several physical books.
Reducing Dependence on Printed Textbooks
The project was also intended to reduce students’ dependence on physical textbooks.
By placing textbooks, tutorials and practice questions on a single device, the government hoped to make learning materials more accessible to students regardless of their location or family income.
The tablets were designed to withstand the conditions in which students might use them, including the difficult environments of some rural communities.
Recognition and Distribution
Opon Imo received international recognition when it was selected as a winner in the Learning and Education category of the 2013 World Summit Awards.
Although the original plan involved 150,000 tablets, reports from 2017 stated that about 50,000 devices had been produced and distributed to final-year students and their teachers. The tablets were retrieved after each academic session, repaired or updated and redistributed to another set of students.
The initiative showed how digital technology could be used to expand access to textbooks and examination materials in public schools.
Its long-term value, however, depended on regular maintenance, updated content, teacher involvement and the continued replacement of damaged or outdated devices.
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