As the new academic year -2022/2023 goes underway in Cameroon, the country’s National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ANTIC) has engaged some 12 ICT start-ups in an effort to seek digital solutions capable of enhancing learning and teaching in the country. The forum which is focused on the contribution of Start-ups to the development of the economy of the country is in its sixth edition.
This initiative which is in keeping with the Agency’s mission of promoting and monitoring government’s action is taking place within the confines of a three-day forum which kick-started today, 07 September 2022 in Edea, Sanaga Maritime Division, Littoral Region.
The 12 ICT start-ups will for the next three days showcase their innovative and digital solutions which are endowed with the potential to enhance learning and teaching to the academic community of the Division.
« EduAirBox (Formerly KwiiziBox) is one of the start-up solutions to be showcased at the forum. It is a concept that seeks to offer quality education via digital technologies with or without the Internet. EduAirBox focuses on the design of portable and open media libraries in the form of Boxes giving access to millions of educational content and offering an integrated communication system, where learners can collaborate and make video calls within the local network deployed by the Box. »
The forum would also feature the Cameroon GCE Guide – «an innovative offline mobile platform which provides students with: examination resources, exam guide, past questions study tips all accessible offline and in one. » It is incorporated with a « web platform for taking online courses, video lessons, slides and presentations. App is available on Google Playstore as Cameroon GCE Guide. »
ANTIC’s Director General, Prof. Ebot Ebot Enaw who flagged off the event, holds that the forum which is unfolding under the banner : "The role of ICTs in enhancing quality education and overcoming socio- economic challenges," is part of Government’s continous strides in building an enabling environment for learning in the country thanks to lnformation and Communication Technology (ICT).
He was upbeat that: “Thanks to an enabling environment created over the years by the state, ICT has significantly enhanced learning, making it interactive and learner-centered”.
“This technology-enhanced learning in both Primary, Secondary and Higher institutions serves as a supportive education tool to drive learners’ knowledge and skills, as well as empowering them to approach and harness its opportunities with courage and potential,” he added.
“For this initiative to take a foothold, internet service providers would have to improve the quality of internet connectivity on which e-education is based. Internet Service Providers, ISPs, also need to make internet accessible and affordable to students both in urban and rural underserved communities,” he concluded.
