Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja, has set a target of enrolling at least 10,000 students in its Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programmes as it moves to fully digitise its learning system.
The Director of the Centre for Distance Learning and Continuing Education, Prof. Uche Anaduaka, disclosed this during the signing of a partnership agreement with Edutech Global in Lagos.
Under the partnership, Edutech Global will provide the university with a Learning Management System, virtual classrooms, online examination platforms, remote proctoring technology and other digital infrastructure that will enable students to study and write examinations from any location.
Anaduaka said the university currently offers five accredited undergraduate ODL programmes and six weekend part-time programmes, with plans to introduce about 10 postgraduate programmes while expanding its undergraduate offerings as more courses receive National Universities Commission accreditation.
She explained that enrolment currently stands at fewer than 4,000 students because the previous model still required learners to attend physical lectures and examinations.
“Our target is to grow gradually to 10,000 students, then 20,000 and even 30,000 as we continue to expand and attract learners from Nigeria and other parts of the world,” she said.
She noted that the fully digital model would provide greater flexibility for working professionals and other learners who cannot participate in conventional classroom programmes.
Chief Executive Officer of Venture Garden Group, Edutech Global’s parent company, Bunmi Akinyemiju, said the company would provide the technology backbone for the university’s digital learning operations, including content digitisation, student support services, learner recruitment and virtual classroom systems.
Also speaking, Edutech Global’s Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Olufemi Shonubi, described technology-enabled learning as the most practical solution to Nigeria’s growing demand for university education, revealing that similar platforms have already enabled institutions such as Ahmadu Bello University to serve more than 50,000 distance learners.
He added that the company would deploy an offline-first learning model with preloaded study materials to minimise students’ dependence on constant internet connectivity while allowing the university to expand access to quality higher education without significant investment in physical infrastructure.
