Private Universities: Babcock Leads In eLearning

Babcock University  have become the first private university in Nigeria to adopt eLearning for its academic programmes.
The prestigious university , last week signed an agreement with Edutech Advanced Business Solutions, a private education technology company championing eLearning in Nigeria, to deploy eLearning solutions for some of its programmes.
Speaking at the ceremony, the President/Vice Chancellor of Babcock, Prof. James Kayode Makinde, said: “eLearning is the way of the future and we are delighted to be a part of it. It is a significant day for Babcock, and not just Babcock, but for Nigeria as well because this development makes education accessible, available and affordable. The eLearning programme would also allow Babcock quadruple its student population whilst still maintaining existing infrastructure because students will be able to have access to education without necessarily being in the classroom.”

According to the General Manager of Edutech, Prof. Abiola Awosika, the company is “committed to revolutionizing education in Africa by taking education from the conventional classroom experience to a virtual platform thereby eliminating the challenges of time and space.”

“We are working with schools across Nigeria to provide the vital logistical components of their online programs, including comprehensive student support services from orientation to enrolment and through to graduation; as well as practical learning experiences within distant communities around the country.” Prof. Awosika added.

Higher education in Nigeria is presently facing a critical challenge to meet new demands for the 21st century. With a population of over 160 million comprising 50-60% of youths aged 16 years or less, those seeking access to education at all levels – primary, secondary and tertiary are considerable.

Over 1.6 million applicants seek admission every year to universities and even with as many as 128 universities (Federal, State and Private) presently in Nigeria, only a fraction (less than 30%) of the applicants get places in universities as a result of constraints of space, time and location.

eLearning, therefore, is one way to address this deficit. eLearning is learning conducted through electronic media, such as laptops, tablet devices and mobile phones, typically over the internet. With this development, instructional delivery will no longer be limited to the classroom. Thus, a greater number of people can now have access to education.

Meanwhile, you can read about the top six libraries in Nigeria here.