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• Youths must take advantage of opportunities, says Prof. Abba
By Gabriel Dike
Member, Board of Governing Council, Ballsbridge University, British Virgin Islands, United Kingdom, Professor Abba Joel Michael says online university education is currently the norm and has come to stay in Nigeria.
In this interview, he spoke on the advantages of online education, acceptability of its certificates and use of AI among others.
With millions of youths seeking admissions yearly, why is online education not gaining ground in Nigeria?
Online education is having a setback in the country Nigeria as a result of lack of proper sensitisation of its importance and vast opportunities, as experience around the developed countries of the world. Also, our vast youths are being made to believe that until they are within four wall classrooms to study, they are yet to be recognized by the government and society as learned citizens.
But the current digital age debunked that assertion, by making more vase learning materials available on the cloud accessible online without physical contact. Making technology the centre focus of all development. Nigeria needs to embrace online blended education, well customised to fix our system and development.
What are the advantages of online university education?
The advantages of online university programmes are numerous to mention but a few: flexibility in learning; cost effective, as there will be no payments for campus fees; global networking as students will have other colleagues from different parts of the world, this will enhance diversity in learning; it encourages work and study as is applicable in the Western world, this will automatically alleviate unemployment.
It also encourages skill acquisition during the period of studying with the university, hence the students have time to work or learn skills, unlike the traditional way of fully studying on campus for a period of years then after graduation, the graduate now will be hunting for jobs and the lectures received online can be replayed by the students for more understanding unlike the classroom that is not applicable. And so on.
Are the certificates of online university education acceptable?
Certificates obtained through an online study from any accredited university is as recognised as every other accredited university campus study even more due to its diversity of learning. Such as Harvard, MIT, University of London etc.
Could cost implications be a reason online university education is not attractive in Nigeria
Online university education is the most affordable and of high standards globally recognised. But Nigerians are not aware due to negligence and lack of proper sensitisation.
As agent of Ballsbridge University, what has been your experience?
My experience as a member of Governing Council of Ballsbridge University and representative in Nigeria, I have been trying my best to sensitise the public both youth and working class of the advantages of online university programmes. Also how to escape the idleness and lack of job or entrepreneurial skills of our youth.
For the working class how to improve their competence to compete in the global community without necessarily resigning from their jobs/works. Online blended university education is and will actually alleviate a lot of our challenges in Nigeria.
Has online university education come to stay?
I strongly believe the online education has come to stay so long as the world is moving towards full digital age. Our youths now do more online than physical as it’s been done many years ago. Social media is the driving force of communication and learning now.
A major issue is how students interact with their supervisors. How is this handled?
Online students interacting with their supervisors is very interesting and easy to manage. Both parties don’t know each other and may not even be in the same country. That makes it more interesting for cross cultural study and giving in the best to ensure good standing personally and community wise.
With AI, how do lecturers monitor the abuse of its use in assignments and projects?
With the presence of AI, the learning method is modified and enabled to meet up with the global trend. Students are guided and encouraged to know, not just to pass. Whenever students are found using AI copy and paste the student will be asked to explain the content in his/her own language for better understanding.
Many view online education as only for adults, how true?
Is a misunderstanding when online education is being viewed to be only for adults, while the young ones are even more online than the adults. Online education is for everyone, just a platform to communicate and learn and no one is exempted.
How do the parent institutions check examination malpractice?
Examination malpractice is the thing of the past, in as much as the students are made to understand the real concept and merit of online education which is purely an “induction” learning method not a “deduction” learning method as practice in our campuses.
Online university education, students are made to develop paper presentations, term papers researches, practicals where applicable with the respective institutions/organisations for a better blended learning. In that case what you know is more important than what you just curled up.
Before the examination, the students already have mastered all the outline themselves because they are involved in the research and learning process from the beginning, where the lecture materials are developed by them individually with the guidance of their lecturers. Such students may not need to even read to sit for the examination anymore. As we inculcate into them the strong passion for masterpiece.
How do you see online university education in Nigeria in the future?
I see and believe that in the nearest future, no distance time from now, Nigeria will fully embrace online education to save the country and education sector from the terrible challenges always faced by our leaders and citizens.
Online tertiary education saves the sector from incessant strike actions, campus troubles, admission palaver and the country unemployment. All and sundry will be given the chance to work, learn trade/skills as well as study any course of choice at their pace and being respected and recognize by their own people and the world at large.
In Nigeria, we have few institutions offering online programmes. Why is the number so low?
There are several reasons. Only a few institutions in Nigeria offer online programmes, inadequate digital infrastructure. Many universities lack the robust IT infrastructure needed to deliver effective online education, such as stable Internet, learning management systems, and technical support; regulatory limitations, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has historically been cautious about accrediting online programmes due to concerns about quality assurance and standardisation.
Other reasons are low digital literacy. Both students and educators in some areas may not have the skills or exposure needed to effectively engage with online platforms; cost and access issues: Internet data costs remain high for many Nigerians, and electricity supply is often unreliable, making online learning difficult for large segments of the population and cultural preference.
There is still a strong cultural and institutional preference for face-to-face learning, with many stakeholders (employers, parents, even students) viewing traditional education as more credible.
One of the reasons Nigerians have not fully embraced online education is the quality of teachers. How correct is this view?
This view has some truth, but it’s not the only or primary reason, yes, it’s partly correct. Many lecturers were trained for physical classroom teaching, not for digital environments. Some lack they training to use digital tools effectively, leading to poor delivery of online courses.
However, other factors are equally important, unreliable Internet and power supply hinder smooth delivery regardless of the teacher’s quality; scepticism about online degrees from employers. The public also discourages participation and limited student engagement tools and poor course design can affect learning outcomes more than the teacher alone. So, while teacher quality matters, systemic issues play a bigger role in the slow adoption of online learning.
Is government doing enough to promote online education?
Not sufficiently. Here’s why, policy is lagging. Although the NUC has started approving open and distance-learning centres, there’s still no comprehensive national policy that aggressively promotes online education at all levels; limited funding, investment in digital education infrastructure is low compared to the need.
Most public universities cannot afford to upgrade their systems for effective online delivery. No nationwide broadband policy tailored to education, the cost and reach of the Internet have not been adequately addressed from an educational perspective and few public campaigns or incentives, there is little public awareness or incentive programs to encourage institutions, teachers, or students to adopt online learning models.
In summary, while there are some efforts, such as NUC’s recognition of online learning, the pace and scale are not enough to drive widespread adoption. I am of the opinion that the government should invest more and encourage the online, virtual and blended education in Nigeria to boost the standard and quality of the education system in Nigeria, which will in turn boost the economy.
Can we know more of Professor Abba Michael is?
Professor Abba Michael, is a seasoned educationist and lawyer who has worked and still working with various universities within and around the globe to foster good education and also advocate for the less privileged, giving all and sundry a sense of belonging in the society.
I am also a United Nations diplomat, an erudite professor of education, a member Board of Governing Council of Ballsbridge University, British Virgin Islands United Kingdom.
