Jigawa, Bayelsa Take The Lead In Nigeria’s Public Education AI Drive
Jigawa and Bayelsa States have become among the first education systems in the world to deploy a new artificial intelligence platform that enables government officials to monitor and manage public education performance in real time.
The technology, known as Cognition, forms part of NewGlobe’s newly launched Enterprise AI suite and is already being used by education leaders in both states to access system-wide intelligence that would previously have taken days or weeks to compile manually.
Using simple natural language prompts, officials can ask questions about attendance, learning outcomes, teacher performance, programme implementation, and school operations across thousands of schools and receive immediate responses.
The platform was unveiled at the Education World Forum 2026 in London, where education leaders from Jigawa and Bayelsa joined ministers and policymakers from more than 100 countries to discuss the future of artificial intelligence in education.
Speaking at the Forum, NewGlobe President and Co-Founder, Dr. Shannon May, said artificial intelligence presents a unique opportunity for countries that are building modern education systems without the burden of outdated infrastructure.
“The greatest opportunity in this new age of AI may be in systems that are building from scratch, free to design education infrastructure for the future rather than repair the past. We are not trying to fix a 20-year-old siloed, cobbled digital system. We are building from scratch in the age of AI,” she said.
Dr. May noted that while much of the global conversation around AI has focused on chatbots, digital tutors and classroom tools, the bigger opportunity lies in using artificial intelligence to strengthen entire education systems.
According to her, AI can help education leaders gain instant visibility into what is happening across thousands of schools, allowing governments to make faster, more informed decisions that improve outcomes for millions of children.
The deployment of Cognition in Jigawa and Bayelsa reflects what experts describe as Africa’s growing ability to leapfrog legacy systems and adopt next-generation technologies. Just as mobile banking transformed financial services across the continent, AI is now opening new possibilities for education management and delivery.
Speaking on the impact of the technology, the Honourable Commissioner for Education in Bayelsa State described Cognition as a transformative tool for government decision-making.
“Cognition is interactive. You can interact with the system and get solutions. For example, if I receive a call from the Governor and need to know how far we have gone, where the gaps are, what the challenges are, or where our strengths lie, I simply interact with Cognition and get the answers. Every piece of information I need is available instantly and in real time. I am delighted that we have this system,” he said.
The Chairman of the Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board also highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence to improve learning outcomes across schools in the state.
“What really excited me is the use of AI in our schools for teachers. I have seen what it can do. It is going to address many of the challenges that have been affecting learning. My take-home is the effective utilisation of AI for improvement of learning outcomes for our learners,” he said.
Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who attended the Forum, also welcomed the innovation and its potential contribution to the country’s education reform agenda.
“NewGlobe is currently supporting foundational learning in several states of our country and we have seen significant results. I am very impressed with the ability to infuse AI into the platform to help in areas such as teacher feedback, coaching and system activation. There is no doubt this is the way of the future. If we choose the right way to use AI, it will profoundly change how we deliver education to our students,” the Minister said.
With Jigawa and Bayelsa already operating the technology, Nigeria is emerging as one of the first countries globally to implement AI-powered education intelligence at scale within public school systems.
The development places Nigeria at the forefront of a new wave of education innovation, demonstrating how governments can harness artificial intelligence not only to improve classroom teaching but also to strengthen decision-making across entire education systems.
About NewGlobe
NewGlobe is an education technology organisation working with governments to improve learning outcomes through technology-enabled public education systems. The organisation operates across seven countries and supports millions of learners globally.
