Vice President Kashim Shettima said on Wednesday that posterity would harshly judge the country's leaders if they allowed public schools to collapse.

Shettima said this at the public presentation of tablets donated by MTN Nigeria Communications Plc to Government Science Secondary School students, Pyakasa, Maitama, Abuja.

He said President Bola Tinubu was passionate about repositioning public schools and that the Student Loan Scheme was designed to give the children of the poor access to education.

“This is a public school. Incidentally, all of us seated on the high table are all products of the public school system, and posterity will judge us harshly if we allow the public school system to collapse.

“We could afford to send our own wards to private schools, but the children of the poor whom we abandoned to rot away in substandard schools will consume us,” said Shettima.

He assured that with the partnership of organisations such as MTN, the Federal Government would continue to do its best to ensure that public schools were better equipped.

According to him, education is often cited as the key to unlocking the future, but in today’s world, digital literacy is the master key.

Shettima said the tablets presented to the Government Science Secondary School students in Pyakasa, Maitama, were among the 4,600 devices donated by MTN Nigeria for distribution to students across the six geopolitical zones.

“The classroom is no longer just a physical space; it is now an infinite world of knowledge, only a click away.

“The most transformative lessons of our time are not confined to the four walls but are happening in the boundless universe of the internet.

“This event, therefore, is more than a ceremony; it is yet another opportunity to offer our children a window into the world – a classroom beyond their classroom,” he said.

President Tinubu expressed gratitude to MTN Nigeria's leadership, particularly Dr Ernest Ndukwe, the Chairman of its Board of Directors, for “an incredible act of generosity.

“We thank you for supporting the efforts of this administration by investing in the digital literacy of our students.

“These devices will ensure that our children are as equipped as their counterparts across the world to function effectively in a technology-driven 21st century.”

The vice president urged students to use the tablets to broaden their knowledge, saying, “Sharpen your skills, and prepare yourselves for the limitless possibilities ahead.”

Earlier, Ndukwe said the event marked a milestone in the telecom giant’s commitment to advancing digital learning and literacy across the country.

He said the tablets – each pre-installed with U-Lesson software – represented MTN Nigeria’s commitment to empowering the next generation with the essential tools to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

For his part, Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs, said the initiative consolidates the partnership between the Federal Government and the private sector to enhance the quality of education.

He said the initiative, to be replicated in schools across the country, would impact science education and digital literacy in the country.

He assured us that there would be more to benefit from the partnership between the government and MTN, which would be unveiled soon.

Also, Mukhtar Shagaya, Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, said the initiative was a testament to the power of partnership between the public and private sectors in advancing the cause of education.

Malam Isa Okuru, the school's principal, said the gesture was an investment in the students' future and the prospect of advancing science education, technology and innovation in Nigeria.