OASIS President Canvasses Partnership for Effective E-learning Education

Funmi Ogundare

The President and Chief Executive Officer of Olawoyin Awosika School of Innovative Studies (OASIS), Professor Abiola Awosika has stressed the need for a public private partnership where government would provide the enabling environment that will ensure the effectiveness of elearning education in Nigeria.

Awosika who made this call, recently, at an E-learning policy roundtable, organised by Sterling Bank, in Lagos, with the theme: ‘Developing Cross-sectional partnerships to promote e-learning in Nigerian HEIs’, said the partnership is imperative so as to move the country forward and ensure that the Nigerian child can have access to quality education without being restricted.

According to her, E-learning seems to be the solution, a lot of people don’t understand it yet, and so we have to come together especially those of us who work in the education system, that can fund education and every support sector to determine what kind of policy the government needs to put in place.”

She said there is need to use technology to upscale the teachers and students, adding that digital technology involves access, equity and affordability.

“Technology is changing the way we work, live and learn , we must create the right environment for human development and also for technoprenuers to thrive,” Awosika said.

In his remarks, Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo stressed the need for higher education in Nigeria to explore holistically how to use technology to enhance access, quality and affordability, adding, “the infrastructural requirements and capital intensive nature of deploying E-learning, and the disruptive changes it will cause in any institution deploying it, requires educators, policy makers, the private sector and students to come together to deliberate on how a conducive policy environment can be created for innovations in E- learning to thrive in Nigeria, and how institutions can effectively adapt to the technology to suit it curriculum.”

Osinbajo who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on ICT, Mr. Lanre Osibona, said E- learning provides learners access to quality education at their convenience and from any location.

“Following on this, we the stakeholders can attest that it is necessary for higher education in Nigeria to explore holistically how to use technology to enhance access, quality and affordability.”

He said from the theme of the forum, it is clear that government alone cannot transform higher education to meet the needs and aspirations of Nigerians, adding that there must be collaborative effort by all stakeholders to meet the target of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) designed to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.

Osinbajo said the country must chart its own course in education, noting that the focus of educators should be on subject and lessons that encourage critical thinking, creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.

The Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Afrigants Resources Limited, Ms. Thelma Ekiyor who emphasised on ‘Exploring funding/financing opportunities for E-learning in Nigeria’, said it cannot happen in a vacuum, but requires investment and effort of all stakeholders to map out solution for it to work.”