Lagos, Nigeria: June 16, 2010: Deux Project and the global software giant, Microsoft has  collaborated to offer information technology training to students of Agidingbi Junior and  Senior Secondary schools in Lagos State under The Microsoft IT Academy Programme, which is designed for accredited academic institutions worldwide.

The Managing Director of Deux Project, Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, said the Microsoft IT Academy  Programme has good tools to prepare students for certification, which is very important to prepare them for future jobs.

The Microsoft IT Academy would be implemented in all three pilot schools and provide world  class Microsoft official curriculum along with many other free features that this  partnership will bring. The programme provides over 175 e-learning courses to students who want to advance their software knowledge. Microsoft will provide free email and  collaboration tools as part of the Microsoft IT Academy.

Tunji Olowolafe said: “The programme is useful in the local environment where training resources  are scarce. Students will benefit from the curricular, courseware and online learning the  programme offers. The involved schools and teachers will benefit as well from the available  curricular that can be used in the classroom or to supplement student’s individual learning needs”.

To modernize public education in the state, the Lagos State government recently inaugurated new  model blocks within Agidingbi schools complex. These schools would be the first to benefit  from The Microsoft IT Academy programme.

The programme according to Dr. Tunji Olowolafe provides educators with the tools they need to effectively train students on  Microsoft technologies, prepare students for the global economy, and create a skilled  community.

To activate this programme, Deux Project (Dr. Tunji Olowolafe), Microsoft and its local support group would  provide laptops with embedded Microsoft academy software and a training package for  Agidingbi schools.

Deux, according t0 Dr. Tunji Olowolafe would be responsible for the overall management of the new IT Academy. The organisation  will work closely with Microsoft to ensure that this academy is ready and operational by  ensuring that all hardware and software requirements are met and that the schools and teachers are fully ICT trained.

Project Director, Deux Project, Dr. Walter Olatunde, said, ”We are proud to partner  Microsoft on this laudable objective. We will ensure that both students and staff get access  to the best technology available.”

Development platform manager, Microsoft Nigeria, Mr. Ken Spann, explained that the Microsoft  IT Academy programme offers an affordable solution to deliver high quality affordable ICT education created just for schools.

Included in the programme are curricular that can be used in the classroom to supplement  student’s individual learning needs. The programme would be of strategic importance in revolutionising learning “in Lagos state because of its profile”.

According to him, computer systems underpin daily life at school, in the workplace, and  across the wider community. It would ensure the teaching staff could effectively use  Microsoft online learning portal and equip the students with the relevant training to bridge the IT skills gap.

Highlights of the programme include access to a wide variety of Microsoft curricula and  certifications, extensive teaching resources, Microsoft e-Learning courses for educators and  students, and software licenses for laboratory and classroom use. Others include a wide  range of instruction from computer basics to high-level programming, architecture and the use of the Microsoft IT Academy logo and other marketing resources.