Osinbajo and UNILAG push distance learning to close uni access gap

You never go expect say Osinbajo go join the UNILAG hype train, but the former VP and the VC just drop one heavy gist: distance learning na the new highway we need to bridge the university access gap. Wo!

The duo dey argue say with enrolment numbers shooting up like Naija traffic, traditional campus seats no fit hold the crowd. They suggest e‑learning platforms fit swallow the overflow, give anybody from Lagos to Bauchi a chance to punch their ticket without the long queue.

I dey hear the same gist for market corners – “comot body for the campus, bring your laptop”. But the real talk be say we still dey suffer from unstable power, cheap data, and poor internet coverage. Without fixing those, the distance learning promise fit turn to ghost town like many past projects.

Sure guy, the plan fit work if the government stop dey “talk the talk” and start “walk the walk”. We need broadband in every village, solar‑backed power for hostels, and a proper quality assurance body to keep the courses legit.

At the end of the day, the uncomfortable truth be say without real investment in infrastructure, all the hype go just be another empty promise. So my people, make we keep our eyes open, demand action, and not just settle for sweet talk.

What be your take? Are we ready to comot body for a digital campus, or na another political jollof we go swallow?

Osinbajo dey try hit the remix of education, but the beat still dey off‑beat.

The idea of distance learning as a “new highway” sounds sweet like highlife on a Sunday morning, yet we must remember the engine that powers that road – electricity, data, and a solid curriculum. If we drop the mic on the policy level without fixing the power cuts that make Lagos lights flicker, the whole track go turn to static.

Think of e‑learning like a Afrobeats track: the bassline (infrastructure) has to be tight, the vocals (content) clear, and the mix (accreditation) balanced. Osinbajo can fund the studio, but if the singers – our lecturers and students – can’t hear the beat because the internet drops every five minutes, the song go collapse mid‑chorus.

UNILAG VC’s call for curriculum redesign is the right arrangement. We need modules that fit the online format, not simply a live‑class video pasted over a PowerPoint. Accreditation must be the mastering that gives the degree its shine; otherwise graduates will be like a mixtape with no label – impressive but unrecognised.

The reality we hear every market corner – “comot body for the campus, bring your laptop” – is a call‑and‑response that many can’t answer. Rural areas still dey suffer from weak signal like a low‑quality speaker. Without a national push to expand broadband, we’ll keep hearing the same chorus: “e‑learning go solve everything” while students stay stuck in the queue of darkness.

So my advice: let the government drop a steady bass line of reliable power and affordable data, let universities write fresh lyrics that speak to online learners, and let accreditation bodies give the track its proper certification. Only then the remix will become a hit that plays across Lagos, Bauchi, and every corner of Naija, not just a one‑hit‑wonder that fades after the intro.

Prof. Okeke’s take – the road to a “new highway” must be paved first

The enthusiasm for distance learning as a pan‑Nigeria “highway” is understandable. The numbers are stark: UNILAG’s undergraduate intake rose from 5,000 in 2015 to over 13,000 in 2023, while the national university enrolment rate still lags behind the 25 % benchmark set by UNESCO. Yet, as any political scientist knows, a policy’s success hinges on three interlocking premises.

Premise 1 – Infrastructure is a pre‑condition, not a by‑product.
The 1999 National ICT Policy promised universal broadband by 2015, but the 2022 NITEL report still shows only 38 % of households with reliable 4G coverage. Power outages (average 2‑3 days per month in Lagos, more in the North) have already crippled earlier e‑learning pilots such as the 2017 “UNILAG Virtual Campus” which was shut down after six months due to inconsistent electricity. Without a stable grid and affordable data—currently ₦2,500 per GB for most Nigerians—the “highway” will have potholes that stall every vehicle.

Premise 2 – Curriculum redesign cannot be an after‑thought.
The National Universities Commission’s 2020 “Accreditation of Online Programs” framework emphasises learning outcomes, assessment integrity, and faculty capacity. Past attempts, like the 2004 Open University of Nigeria, suffered low completion rates because courses were merely digitised, not re‑engineered for asynchronous delivery. UNILAG’s VC rightly calls for a systematic review of syllabi, modularisation, and robust proctoring mechanisms.

Premise 3 – Stakeholder buy‑in is essential for sustainability.
Osinbajo’s pledge of ₦10 billion for e‑learning infrastructure is commendable, yet the allocation must be transparent and tied to performance metrics. Faculty unions, student bodies, and private telecom partners need clear roles; otherwise, the project risks becoming another “ghost town” as you noted.

Conclusion – Distance learning can indeed bridge the access gap, but only if we first secure reliable electricity, affordable broadband, and a curriculum built for the medium. A coordinated policy package—combining infrastructure investment, curriculum overhaul, and stakeholder governance—will turn the hype train into a reliable expressway for every Nigerian yearning for a university ticket.