The Role of Open and Distance Education in Rebranding Nigeria’s Tertiary Education for Sustainable National Development
Keywords:
Rebranding, Tertiary education, Sustainable National Development, Open and Distance EducationAbstract
Education is considered to be a key instrument of human and economic transformation in all nations of the world. This fundamental role of education seems to be eluding Nigeria in the face of intractable challenges in the sector. The history of tertiary education in Nigeria today has been that of mixture of fortunes. Tertiary institutions in Nigerian today cannot comfortably continue to lay claims to being central to the nations ability to connect with the new international knowledge system and adopt, adapt and further develop the new technologies needed in the wider society. This paper examines some of the daunting problems militating against achieving the objectives of education in Nigeria and how Open and Distance Learning can help in achieving the Federal Government rebranding policy. Re-branding project involves attitudinal change, re-orientation, revival of the nation’s beautiful old cultural values and instilling a renewed spirit of patriotism and hope in all Nigerians. Using documentary method, the paper stressed the need for rebranding of the entire education sector to stem the drift and decay being experienced now.
Résumé : L'éducation est considérée comme un instrument majeur de la transformation humaine et économique dans toutes les nations du monde. Ce rôle fondamental de l'éducation semble échapper au Nigéria face aux défis insolubles du secteur. L'histoire de l'enseignement supérieur au Nigéria est aujourd'hui celle d'un mélange de fortunes. Aujourd’hui, les institutions tertiaires nigérianes ne peuvent confortablement continuer à prétendre qu’elles sont le noyau de la capacité du pays à se connecter avec le nouveau système international de connaissances et à adopter, adapter et développer davantage les nouvelles technologies nécessaires dans la société au sens large. Cette étude fait une analyse de certains problèmes redoutables qui militent contre la réalisation des objectifs de l'éducation au Nigéria et comment l'enseignement à distance peut aider à réaliser la politique du pays qui vise le renouvellement de l’image du pays. Le projet du renouvellement de l’image du pays implique un changement d’attitude, une réorientation, la renaissance des belles anciennes valeurs culturelles du pays et l’instauration d’un esprit de patriotisme et d’espoir renouvelé chez tous les Nigérians. En utilisant une méthode documentaire, cette étude souligne la nécessité de faire un renouvellement total du secteur de l'éducation pour arrêter la dérive et la décadence que connaît actuellement le système de l’enseignement du pays.
References
Adeola, A., Adeleke, O. A. and Opeyemi, O. O. D. (2016). Capacity Building and Sustainable Development: The Tertiary Education Example. Asian Review of Social Sciences, 5 (2), 1-5.
Abdullahi, H., Abdullahi, Y. A. and Bello, A. A. (2012). Rebranding Nigeria's Educational System for Effective National Economic Development. Academic Research International, 3 (1).
Agba, M., Agba, O., Ushie, E. and Akwara, F. (2009). Poverty, food insecurity and the re-branding question in Nigeria. Canadian Social Science 5 (6), 1-9.
Age, E. (2005). Objectives of Teaching Education In Nigeria. London, British Council.
Alabi, W. (2009). How to rebrand Nigeria: Lessons from abroad. Retrieved October 8, 2010, from http://www.thenationonlineng.net/../page1.html.
Amede, L. and Ihuoma, C. (2018). Evaluation of Guidance and Counselling Services in Secondary Schools in Lagos State. Nigerian Journal of Empirical Studies in Psychology and Education, 20 (1), 111-125.
Akunyili, D. N. (2010). Re-Branding of Nigerian Universities: 39th Convocation Lecture of University Of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Thursday August 5.
Akunyili, D. N. (2009). Rebranding Nigeria Project Campaign, Launched in Abuja, March, 2009.
Amadi, M. N. (2015). Issues and Problems in Higher Education in Nigeria: Abuja, NOUN Press
Anya, O. (2006). Higher Education Policy in Nigeria, Enugu, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Edgar, F. ( 1972) (Ed.). Learning to Be: The World of Education Today and Tomorrow , Report by the International Commission on the Development of Education, UNESCO, Paris 1972.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004). National policy on Education. Yaba, NERDC Press.
Ihuoma, C. P. (2018). An appraisal of the nexus between education and national development strategies in Nigeria. UNESWA Journal of Education, 2 (1), 319 – 332.
Ihuoma, C. P. (2019). An Eclectic Approach to the Reduction of Test Anxiety among Fresh Students of the National Open University of Nigeria. A-E Funai Journal of Education, 1(1), 179 – 191.
Ihuoma, C. P. and Nwandu, R. A. (2017). An Evaluation of the Extent of Integration of Technology in Teaching and Learning in Secondary Schools in Umuahia, Nigeria. NOUN Journal of Education, 4 (158-165).
Jegede, O. (2016). Human Capital Development in Nigeria through Open and Distance Learning: Whither Federal University of Oye-Ekiti? Being an Invited Special Address to an Extra-Ordinary Session of the Senate of the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti which held on 8July.
Jegede, O. (2007). ODL and Dual mode Institutions: A key note address Presented at the Colloquium on ODL Policy and Quality Challenges for Dual Mode Institutions held at National Open University of Nigeria, Lagos, July 23.
Jegede, O. (2009). ODL in Nigeria: A Country Report presented at Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Forum on A Decade of Open and Distance Learning in the Commonwealth: Achievements and Challenges 8th-20th May at Abuja Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Nigeria.
Jude, A. (2009). “Rebranding Nigeria Image Project: We all must Support” <http://www.onlinenigeria.com/articles/ad.asp?blurb=723>, [16th April, 2009].
Mohammed, A. M. (2000). Organization and Management of Distance Education in Nigeria Being a paper presented at the National Workshop on Distance Education Nigeria 27-29 Sept, Abuja.
Moja, T. (2000). Nigeria Education Sector Analysis: An Analytical Synthesis of Perfomance and Main Issues. New York, World Bank Publication.
Munasinghe, M. (2002) ‘The Sustainomics Trans-Disciplinary Meta-Framework for Making Development more Sustainable: Applications to Energy Issues’, International Journal Sustainable Development, 4 (2), 6-54.
Obanya, P. (1999). Higher Education for an Emergent Nigeria. 50th Anniversary Lecture at the University.
Ogunlela, V. B. and Ogunleye, B. O. (2014). Promoting quality assurance practices for ODL programmes in West African higher education institutions: The role of RETRIDAL. International Open and Distance Learning Journal. 4th ACDE 2014 Special Edition, 95-108.
Ogunleye, B. O. (2019). Science teachers’ knowledge, attitudes and skills as determinants of classroom practices in entrepreneurship education in senior secondary schools in Lagos, Nigeria. Annual Journal of the Technical University of Varna, Bulgaria 3 (2), 10-20. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.29114/ajtuv.vol3.iss2.146.
Ogunleye, B. O. (2009). Integration of contemporary ICT tools in the teaching of chemistry: awareness and attitudes of chemistry teachers in South West, Nigeria. Journal of e-Learning, 8 (2), 1-18.
Ogunleye, B. O. and Apata, F. S. (2018). Integrating intelligent pedagogical agents into learning management systems for student exposure to science experiments in the National Open University of Nigeria. KIU Journal of Education, 13 (2), 31-51.
Olayiwola, P. O., Reju, C. O. and Alaneme, G. C. (2009). Organization and Management of Dual Mode Institutions: The University of Lagos Experience. Proceedings of 2009 International Symposium on Computing, Communication and Control Singapore Oct 9-11, 462-466.
Okon, G. B. and Omodu, M. (2010). Nigeria’s rebranding project: challenges and prospects. Political communication & Nigerian democracy: A book of reading. Rivers: Amethyst & colleagues publishers, 113-114.
Okopi, F. O. and Ogunleye, B. O. (2016). Staff and students’ assessment of quality of learner support services in the National Open University of Nigeria. International Journal of Education, Science, Humanities, Mathematics and Environmental Studies, 8 (1 & 2), 138-153.
Oni, B. (1999). A Framework for Technological Capacity Building in Nigeria: Lessons from Developed Countries. Monograph No. 64, Institute for World Economic and International Management, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
Pollyn, B. S, Barinua, V. and John–Agi, C. (2016). Human Capacity Building and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: A Value Base Analysis: Best international Journal, 3 (2), 63 -87.
Tang, E. (2009). Factors influencing effective rebranding strategy. ANZMAC conference proceedings, Adaide, June, 1-8.
Udeala, S. O. (2008). Foreign Policy and the Nigerian Image Project. Constraints and Challenges The Nigerian Forum, 29 (11-12), 255-270.
UNEP (2006. Discussion Paper: Ways to Increase the Effectiveness of Capacity Building for Sustainable Development 2006 IAIA Annual Conference, Stavanger, Norway.
