Multichoice Launches Resource Centres in Edo State

MultiChoice, Nigeria’s premium pay-TV operator, in furtherance of its corporate social investment policy, has launched additional 10 resource centres in public secondary schools in Edo State.
This brings the total of its resource centres in Nigeria to 181 across 18 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The beneficiaries will have access to the Special MultiChoice Education Bouquet, which includes: Discovery Channel, National Geographic, BBC Knowledge, BBC World, History Channel, Animal Planet and Mindset Learn, at no cost. MultiChoice, in addition to its decoder, provides each school with a DVD recorder, a TV set, a power generating set, tables and chairs, among other accessories.
Mrs. Ronke Bello, Deputy National Director, SchoolNet Nigeria, the implementing partner of the project, who spoke on behalf of both SchoolNet and MultiChoice Nigeria, said: “The MultiChoice Resource Centre project is aimed at introducing a platform for information and communication technology (ICT) in which audio-visual facilities through digital satellite television are used to bring abstract ideas into real life in our learning environment, not only by installing these facilities but also by providing adequate training for teachers on the use of such facilities so as to improve on their teaching skills and techniques.”
Mrs. Bello added that SchoolNet and MultiChoice’s satisfaction is derived from schools that have effectively made use of the facilities.
 “The trainer that anchored Edo State training between September 15 and 18 is a classroom teacher from a public rural school in Ogun State. The school made the best use of the facilities and produced great impact on the students and the teachers. The teacher used the facility to improve his teaching methodology and today he is an award winner at several international competitions within the last two years. He is billed to represent Nigeria at a Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Teachers Forum in the United States of America.”
Reverend (Mrs.) Helen Iyawe, Acting Permanent Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Education, who represented the Commissioner of Education, Dr Ngozi Osarenren, thanked MultiChoice and SchoolNet for their kind gesture, stating that Edo State is glad to be the first beneficiary of MultiChoice’s CSI in the seventh phase of the MultiChoice Resource Centre project.
Reverend Iyawe urged the benefitting schools to ensure that the facilities are put to good use and prevent the equipment from being vandalized. She called on other corporate organizations to emulate MultiChoice Nigeria’s intervention in uplifting educational standard in the country.
MultiChoice Resource Centres will be launched in 10 public schools each in Kwara, Niger and Bayelsa States as part of the seventh phase of the project.