The Federal Government has pledged to strengthen open and distance learning in the country’s national policy framework for the advancement of education.
By Emmanuel Afonne
The Federal Government has pledged to strengthen open and distance learning in the country’s national policy framework for the advancement of education.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, made the pledge at the third Open, Distance and eLearning Association of Nigeria (ODeLAN), International Conference 2025 on Thursday in Abuja.
The conference had the theme: “Adaptive Pedagogies for the Future of Education: Connecting Learners, Technologies and Communities.”
The three-day conference was hosted by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in collaboration with ODeLAN.
Alausa, who was represented by Dr Kareem Olawale, from the office of the minister, said open and distance learning had become an asset to the quality of education in the country, especially in rural communities.
“Nigeria, like many nations, since the disruption of education calendar during COVID-19, faced the challenge which led to the embrace of open and distance learning, and this led us to re-imagine the traditional models of education.
“This conference provides the opportunity to take those lessons further, moving from emergency remote teaching to sustainable, adaptive and inclusive model.
“I commend ODeLAN for the efforts in building a community of practice that tackles innovations, research and collaboration in the ODeLAN space.
“Your work is essential in shaping policies, training educators and developing tools that will drive Nigeria’s educational transformation.
“The theme of this year’s event will not have been more timely than now in an age defined by technology.
“Today, we have gathered, not just to share ideas but to chart a course for a more resilient and reputable future that leverages the full potential of open, distance and e-learning,” Alausa said.
The President of ODeLAN, Prof. Francis Egbokhare, lamented the great injustice facing ODL students.
“One still wonders why professional organisation insist that certain courses should not be run through the ODL mode, whereas many of these persons take diverse professional development training through the same mode.
“The denial of ODL students access to government subsidy on tuition and student loans, undermines their rights as citizens.
“This is a grave injustice on Nigerians whose only crime is the mode of learning that they chose or which circumstances have foisted on them.”
Egbokhare, therefore, called on the authorities to ensure that these discriminatory tendencies were dealt with in the sector.
Prof. Olufemi Peters, the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, said ODL had some fundamental social egalitarian philosophy behind its operations and growth.
Peters said that it was the philosophical context that actually drew him into the field of ODL and indeed into NOUN.
“Those who listened to my inaugural lecture will recall my brief foray into egalitarianism in that lecture. It is still the raison d’etre I seem to be passionate about ODL and my university.
“Therefore, when I was asked again whether I could give an address at the upcoming conference, I accepted and even provided a topic for discussion on one of the two issues that was bothering my mind.
“My topic for presentation was, ‘Is ODL all about Technology’? For this reason, I reasoned that I could provide a keynote address where I would have the opportunity to provide the philosophical context underpinning ODL.
“Just to mention, the other issue I felt concerned about was ODL being used as a source of Internal Generated Revenue,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to be professional in their academic activities, noting that their desire must be noble.
Peters also urged ODeLAN to work towards establishing a secretariat which he assured that his institution would furnish, as part of their support.
One of the keynote speakers, Prof. Peter Scott, President, Commonwealth of Learning, said the world had reached a crossroad where education must evolve to meet the needs of learners, societies and the economy.
“The world is witnessing unprecedented change, precipitated by economic shifts, technological disruptions, climate change and global crises. This requires educated systems that are agile, responsive and learner-centred.
“As the open players in this sphere, our resolve is that education should be inclusive, flexible and resilient, and equivalent with the skills required for an uncertain future.
“We should ensure that learning is not a one-size-fits-all approach, but personalised, driven by data and inclusive. These and more underscore Adaptive Pedagogies for Education.
“We leverage technology for adaptive learning through our AMP Actus scheme, also referred to as a Cold Classroom Without Walls. Actus is a low-cost, offline learning solution developed to deliver personalised learning in areas with limited internet access.
“It allows learners to access digital education as content from wherever they are, through mobile devices and laptops, without needing an internet connection.
“The project is ongoing in many Commonwealth countries, including Sierra Leone, Ghana and Nigeria,” he said. (NAN)