Overcoming Distance Education Challenges in Nigeria: A Call for Collaborative ICT Integration

¹Ugwu Jovita Nnenna and ²Ugwuanyi Ifeoma Perpetua

¹Department of Publication and Extension Kampala International University Uganda.

²Department of Educational Management Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

This article looks at the benefits of Distance Education (DE) or Open Learning Systems as the means of providing education that meets the growing demand for education on the account of the financial concerns and changing priorities. The historical development of communication methods is one of the factors that shaped the education sector considerably and now we have the open learning systems as a popular way of. The aim of the establishment of DE as highlighted by scholars is to create another parallel system which can be integrated with formal education. Other objectives include promoting flexibility, constructing an egalitarian society, facilitating in-service and lifelong education and utilizing communication technology for wider outreach. ICTs hold the key to global educational initiatives, providing an environment of collaboration and disseminating ideas in the most effective manner. Although ICTs belong to one of the most transformative technologies, Nigeria is faced with challenges of integration of ICTs, among them deficiencies in ICT infrastructure. Distance education has proved to be successful for the purpose of widening educational chances but Nigeria faces problems like low ICT penetration, erratic power supply, and meagre economy. It is noted that ICTs play a critical role in the development of distance education in Nigeria and that this research stresses the need for collaboration among all relevant stakeholders—government, private companies, and international organizations—to enhance ICT infrastructure, implement international cooperation frameworks, and integrate ICT literacy and use into academic courses.
Keywords: Distance Education (DE), Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), OLS, Education Issues, Flexibility in Education, ICT Infrastructure, and Inclusive Learning.

CITE AS: Ugwu Jovita Nnenna and Ugwuanyi Ifeoma Perpetua (2024). Overcoming Distance Education Challenges in Nigeria: A Call for Collaborative ICT Integration. IDOSR JOURNAL OF ARTS AND MANAGEMENT 9(1) 22-24. https://doi.org/10.59298/IDOSRJAM/2024/9.1.222489