Mobile Learning Innovations and Literacy Facilitators’ Training in Nigeria: A Developmental Study

Adult literacy programmes in Nigeria are faced with several challenges, one of which is the use of inadequately trained facilitators. Most facilitators are volunteers who lack mastery of the needed andragogical principles and essential facilitation skills. This has hindered the quality of literacy delivery in the country. This study, therefore, aimed to design, develop, and evaluate a Mobile Training Application (MTA) for enhancing adult literacy facilitation skills in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study adopted a developmental research design guided by the principles of design-based research. Data were gathered through expert validation involving specialists in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Educational Technology, and Adult Literacy. Feedback informed iterative refinements, resulting in an enhanced version of the application featuring animated videos, voiceovers, interactive quizzes, and culturally sensitive design elements. The findings revealed that the app effectively addressed the training needs of facilitators by improving engagement, accessibility, and skill acquisition in key areas including communication, active listening, participation enhancement, lesson planning, and evaluation. The paper further situates the innovation within the broader discourse on AI-enabled learning in Africa, underscoring its implications for inclusive digital transformation. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Mobile Learning, Literacy Facilitation, Adult Education, Digital Skills