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COUNTRY REPORT ON NIGERIAN
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION – 2019
by
Reuben Lungu Lembani
http://ideaspartnership.org/ @ESRC_IDEAS
#ESRCIDEAS
i
FOREWORD
This country report on the International Distance Education and African Students (IDEAS)
provides an overview of the university education system of Nigeria. It also elaborates on the
historical background and the current state of the education system, and the extent to which it
provides equitable and quality education. This report draws on secondary data analysis, which is
informed by questionnaire interviews with 18 Nigerians who are international distance education
students with University of South Africa, and interviews with key personnel in the Nigeria
education system.
The country‟s university education system is characterised by the growing number of universities
- from only one university in 1948 to a total of 162 universities in 2019. These increases reveal
the country‟s policy on how it has been managing the demand and supply aspect of university
education. During the 71 year period since the establishment of the first university, funding of
public universities has averaged between 1.1% and 8.8% of the total government expenditure.
Even though some still advocate the establishment of more universities, it is clear from the
proportion of funding that the economy of Nigeria cannot sufficiently fund the proposed
expansion. This has a domino effect on issues such as transnational student migration, brain
drain, research output and quality of education. In order to commensurately meet the ever-
increasing demand for university education and ameliorate the challenges of funding, the IDEAS
project proposes the embracement of Open Distance Learning (ODL) as an alternative pathway
for achieving inclusive, equitable and quality university education.
This report, advances a better understanding of the university education system of Nigeria, and
explains why ODL is necessary.
……………………………………..………...… ……..……………….…………...…………
Prof. Parvati Raghuram (Principal Investigator) Prof. Ashley Gunter (Principal Investigator)
The Open University (OU), UK University of South Africa, RSA
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD .........................................................................................................................i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................... ii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................. iii
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................... iv ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ............................................................................... v
1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 The National University Commission ............................................................................................ 2
2. Spatial distribution of universities .................................................................................. 3 2.1 Federal universities ...................................................................................................................... 3
2.2 State universities ........................................................................................................................... 6
2.3 Challenges of federal and state universities................................................................................... 7
2.3 Private universities ....................................................................................................................... 9
3. Demand and supply of university education ................................................................. 12 3.1 Quality of university education ...................................................................................... 14
3.2 Transnational student mobility ....................................................................................... 16
4. ODL: A strategy for increasing greater access to education ........................................ 17 4.1 Challenges of ODL ....................................................................................................... 19
5. Lessons learnt ................................................................................................................ 20 References .......................................................................................................................... 21
iii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: The map of Nigeria, and it geographical location .........................................................1
Figure 2: Spatial distribution of federal universities ....................................................................4
Figure 3: Spatial distribution of state universities .......................................................................6
Figure 4: Spatial distribution of private universities .................................................................. 12
Figure 5: The proportion of enrolment at the three types of universities (FME, 2016). .............. 13
Figure 6: The total number of university admission against the number of total applicants. ...... 14
Figure 7: Transnational student mobility: Top six inbound countries for Nigerians seeking
university education for 2017. Source: https://wenr.wes.org. ..................................................... 17
iv
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: List of federal universities ............................................................................................4
Table 2: List of state universities ................................................................................................8
Table 3: List of accredited private universities .......................................................................... 10
Table 4: Assessement of quality university education based Shanghai Academic Rankings of
World Universities (2017) ......................................................................................................... 15
Table 5: Academic ranking of Nigerian best university relative to the top 10 best African
universities-2017 ....................................................................................................................... 16
v
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
GDP Gross Domestic Product
FCT Federal Capital Territory
FME Federal Ministry of Education
HE Higher Education
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IDE International Distance Education
IDEAS International Distance Education and African Students
NOUN National Open University of Nigeria
NUC National University Commission
ODL Open Distance Education/ Learning
UTME Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations
OU The Open University
SDG Sustainable Development Goal/s
SSCE Senior Secondary Certificate Examination
UNISA University of South Africa
1
1. Introduction
Nigeria is a west African country covering a geographical area of approximately 923,768
km2. To the North, the country is bordered by Niger Republic, Republic of Chad and
Cameroon to the East, Republic of Benin to the West and the Atlantic Ocean to the South
(Figure 1). Before gaining independence from UK in 1960, Nigeria was a Federal State made
up of three regions - Northern, Eastern and Western. In 1963, the regions were dissolved to
create 12 states, which were further divided into 36 states bound together by a Federal Capital
Territory (FCT). With an estimated population of about 198,000,000 people (NPCN, 2018),
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and its population is largely constituted by
youths (over 54%). Even though the country has over 500 languages, and a variety of
traditions and customs, English is the official language while English Pidgin is used widely
as an unofficial medium of communication. In spite of being the fifth largest producer of
crude oil in the world, over 70% of Nigerians are poor (Ehiametalor, 2004).
Figure 1: The map of Nigeria, and it geographical location
2
The 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.3 emphasise the necessity of
quality education, including at the university level (UNESCO, 2002). Higher education is
seen as an important human endeavour for humans to live and work with dignity and to
participate fully in development (Wolfensohn, 1999). Nigeria acknowledges university
education as a vehicle for achieving equity and for contributing to social, economic, cultural
and intellectual transformation (Nwabueze, 1995). This is tightly synchronised with the
country‟s earlier inclusion of “equal and equitable education for all” in the 1981 Constitution
of the Federation. This is further highlighted in the country‟s regulation of its university
education.
1.1 The National University Commission
The National University Commission (NUC) is an autonomous agency under the Federal
Ministry of Education (FME) charged with the care of regulating Higher Education (HE) in
the country. The rationale behind its establishment was to ensure orderly development and
regulation of HE in Nigeria, which includes increasing education access, maintenance of
quality standards and ensuring adequate funding (Uvah, 2005). It was created in 1962 and
reconstituted as a statutory body in 1974, with the mandate of offering suggestions to the
government or advisory board on policy issues, defining norms for quality assurance and
channelling block grants from the government to institutions of HE (Saint et al., 2003). The
NUC is also actively involved in the selection of university management and members of
governing councils, accrediting university course offerings and planning infrastructural
developments in public institutions.
3
This report draws on secondary data analysis, which is informed by questionnaire interviews
with 18 Nigerians who are international distance education students with UNISA, and
interviews with key personnel in the Nigeria education system.
2. Spatial distribution of universities
The Nigerian states enjoy some level of sovereignty that take place within the three distinct
branches of government: legislative, executive and judicial. The purpose of geographically
dividing the country into 36 states was motivated by the desire to ensure better administration
of resources, and to bring the environmental, social and economic benefits much closer to the
people. The function of the State Governments is to complement the efforts of Federal
Government in providing basic amenities and creation of friendly business environment to
their respective jurisdiction, which includes establishment and funding of universities.
As of December 2018, Nigeria has a total of 162 universities that are licensed and approved
by the Federal Government through the NUC (http://nuc.edu.ng/nigerian-univerisities). This
comprise of 40 federal universities (Figure 2; Table 1), 47 state universities (Figure 3; Table
2) and 75 private universities (Figure 4; Table 3).
2.1 Federal universities
The federal universities are the oldest institutions of HE in Nigeria. Since the establishment
of the first university in 1948 (University of Ibadan in Oyo State), the number of institutions
has been doubling every five years (Adesola, 1991). By the year 1962, Nigeria had four
universities, which increased to 12 by 1977 and 20 by 1983 (Table 1). The most recent (2013)
federal universities include the Federal University, Gashua; the Federal University, Birnin
Kebbi; and the Federal University, Gusau. The 40 federal universities are located in the FCT
and across the 34 states, with the exceptions of Edo State and Taraba State (Figure 2), and are
4
popular for offering free face-face education (supposedly no tuition fee charge). States with
more than one federal university are Lagos (2), Ondo (2), Delta (2), Kaduna (2) and Kano (2).
Figure 2: Spatial distribution of federal universities. Data source: http://nuc.edu.ng/nigerian-
univerisities/federal-univeristies/).
Table 1: List of federal universities
N0. Name and year of establishment State N0. Name and year of establishment State
1
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi-
1980 Bauchi State 21
Modibbo Adama University of
Technology, Yola – 1981
Adamawa
State
2 Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria- 1962
Kaduna
State 22
National Open University of
Nigeria, Lagos – 2002
Lagos
State
3 Bayero University, Kano-1977 Kano State 23
Nigerian Defence Academy,
Kaduna – 1964
Kaduna
State
4 Federal University, Gashua- 2013 Yobe State 24
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
– 1991
Anambra
State
5
Federal University of Petroleum Resources,
Effurun – 2007 Delta State 25
Obafemi Awolowo University,
Ille-lfe – 1961 Osun State
6
Federal University of Technology, Akure –
1981 Ondo State 26 Police Academy Wudil -2012 Kano State
7
Federal University of Technology, Mina –
1983 Niger State 27
University of Abuja, Gwagwalada
– 1988 FCT
8
Federal University of Technology, Owerri –
1980 Imo State 28
University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
– 1988 Ogun State
9
Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State –
2011 Jigawa State 29
University of Agriculture, Markurdi
– 1988 Benue State
5
Table 1 Continued
10
Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Kastina –
2011 Katstina State 30 University of Benin – 1970 Delta State
11
Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State –
2011 Gombe State 31 University of Calabar – 1975
Cross
River State
12 Federal University, Lafia – 2010
Nasarawa
State 32 University of Ibadan – 1948 Oyo State
13 Federal University, Lokoja – 2011 Kogi State 33 University of Iiorin – 1975
Kwara
State
14 Federal University, Ndufu-Alike – 2011 Ebonyi State 34 University of Jos – 1975
Plateau
State
15 Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa – 2011 Bayesa State 35 University of Lagos, Akoka - 1962
Lagos
State
16
Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State -
2011 Ekiti State 36 University of Maiduguri – 1975
Borno
State
17 Federal University, Wukari – 2011 Taraba State 37
University of Nigeria, Nsukka –
1955
Enugu
State
18 Federal University, Birnin Kebbi -2013 Kebbi State 38 University of Port-Harcourt – 1975
Rivers
State
19 Federal University, Gusau -2013 Zamfara State 39 University of Uyo – 1991
Akwa Ibom
State
20
Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture,
Umudike – 1992 Ambia State 40
Usumanu Danfodiyo University –
1975
Sokoto
State
Bolded text indicates universities that are accredited to offer ODL. Source:
http://nuc.edu.ng/nigerian-univerisities/federal-univeristies/).
Out of the 40 federal universities, nine are accredited for offering ODL (Table 1), with the
National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) being the only single mode institution that
delivers education and training via distance learning mode and through its 104 study centres
across the country (http://nouedu.net/study-centres). On the other hand, (1) Ahmadu Bello
University; (2) Modibbo Adama University of Technology; (3) Obafemi Awolowo
University, (4) University of Abuja; (5) University of Ibadan; (6) University of Lagos; (7)
University of Maiduguri; and (8) University of Nigeria are still evolving, currently
integrating distance and/or blended learning into to their contact delivery mode.
6
2.2 State universities
The national policy on “equal and equitable education for all” brought the need for a more
uniform spatial establishment of universities throughout the 36 states. Within each
jurisdiction, funding of these universities is primarily a budgetary obligation of a State
Government. Figure 3 depicts the spatial distribution of the 47 state universities, with each
state having at least one university named after its „state‟. Ladoke Akintola University of
Technology in Oyo State and Lagos State University in Lagos State are the two state
universities approved to offer ODL to knowledge seekers who are unable to gain admission
into the regular programmes (Table 2). Because state universities are more uniformly
distributed (Figures 2, 3), a snapshot suggest that the 47 state universities have to some extent
minimised the education exclusion which may be attributed to the geographical dispersion
and remoteness of a state, ethnic group or tribe.
Figure 3: Spatial distribution of state universities. Data source: http://nuc.edu.ng/nigerian-
universities/state-university/.
7
2.3 Challenges for federal and state universities
There is evidence to show that public universities (federal and state) have increased more
quickly than the government‟s capacity to finance these institutions. Figure 4 clearly
demonstrates that funding education in general has been a major and persistent problem
(Ekpo, 2002; Okebukola, 2003). Although government funding allocation increased from
1,194.40 Naira in 1991 to 78,066.80 Naira in 2006, the statistical bulletin from the Central
Bank of Nigeria reveals that government budget to the education sector has consistently been
below 8.8% of the total Federal Government expenditure. This implies that the government
funding of universities is lower than the average (14.3% of government expenditure) for 19
other countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (Hinchiffe, 2002).
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2002) reports
that the education expenditure for 19 sub-Saharan countries average about 5.1% of the GDP
and 14.3% of the total expenditure. This has a domino effect on issues such as transnational
student migration, brain drain, research output and quality of education (Ekpo, 2002). In turn,
this has also prompted the growth of private universities, henceforth, enabling the
governments to partially transfer their financial commitments and obligations to students and
their families (World Bank, 1994).
8
Figure 4: Federal governments budgetary allocation to the education sector as a function of
the total expenditure (Currency Exchange Rate on 11/08/2018: 1 USD = 360.484 Naira).
Source: Okebukola (2003); Central bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin (2010).
Table 2: List of state universities
N0. Name and year of establishment State N0. Name State
1 Abia State University Uturu – 1981 Abia State 25 Ladoke Akintola University of Technology,
Ogbomoso – 1990 Oyo State
2 Adamawa State University, Mubi – 2002 Adamawa
State 26
Ondo State University of Science and Technology,
Okitipupa – 2008 Ondo State
3 Adehunle Ajasin University, Akungba – 1999 Ondo State 27 River State University of Science and Technology –
1979 River State
4 Akwa Ibom State University of Technology, Ikot
Akpaden – 2010
Akwa Ibom
State 28 Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye – 1982 Ogun State
5 Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma – 1980 Edo State 29 Lagos State University – 1983 Lagos
State
6 Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli –
2000
Anambra
State 30 Niger Delta University, Yenagoa – 2000
Bayelsa
State
7 Bauchi State University, Gadau – 2011 Bauchi
State 31 Nasarawa State University, Keffi – 2002
Nasarawa
State
8 Benue State University, Makurdi – 1992 Benue State 32 Plateau State University, Bokkos - 2005 Plateau
State
9 Yobe State University, Damaturu – 2006 Yobe State 33 Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu Ode –
2005 Ogun State
10 Cross River State University of Science and
Technology, Calabar – 2004
Cross River
State 34 Umar Musa Yar' Adua Univserity, Katsina - 2006
Katsina
State
11 Delta State University, Abraka – 1992 Delta State 35 Osun State University, Osogbo - 2006 Osun State
12 Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki – 2000 Ebonyi
State 36 Taraba State University, Jalingo - 2008
Taraba
State
13 Ekiti State University – 1982 Ekiti State 37 Sokoto State University – 2009 Sokoto
State
9
Table 2 Continued
14 Enugu State University of Science and Technology,
Enugu – 1982 Enugu State 38 Yusuf Maitama Sule University Kano - 2012 Kano State
15 Gombe State University, Gombe - 2004 Gombe
State 39 Oyo State Technical University, Ibadan – 2012 Oyo State
16 Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai –
2005 Niger State 40 Ondo State Ubiversity of Medical Sciences – 2015 Ondo State
17 Ignatius Ajuru University of Education,
Rumuolumeni -2010 Rivers State 41 Edo University Iyamo – 2016 Edo State
18 Imo State University, Owerri – 1992 Imo State 42 Eastern Palm University Ogboko, Imo State – 2016 Imo State
19 Sule Lamido University Kafin Hausa, Jigawa – 2013 Jigawa
State 43 University of Africa Toru Orua, Bayelsa State – 2016
Bayelsa
State
20 Kaduna State University, Kaduna -2004 Kaduna
State 44 Bornu State University, Maiduguri – 2016
Bornu
State
21 Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil
– 2000 Kano State 45
Moshood Abiola University of Science and
Technology Abeokuta – 2017 Ogun State
22 Kebbi State University of Science and Technology,
Aliero – 2006 Kebbi State 46
Gombe State University of Science and Technology
–
Gombe
State
23 Kogi State University, Anyigba – 1999 Kogi State 47 Zamfara State University – 2018 Zamfara
State
24 Kwara State University, Ilorin, 2009 Kwara State
Bolded text indicate universities that are accredited to offer ODL. Source:
http://nuc.edu.ng/nigerian-universities/state-university/.
2.3 Private universities
The first two private universities, Babcock University, Ilishan - Remo and Igbinedion
University – Okada, were established in 1999. Despite entering the education landscape some
51 years after the first federal university, the total number of privately owned universities has
virtually increased to 75 (46% of the total number universities), more than the number of
federal universities (25%) and state universities (29%) (Table 3). Since 2013, Joseph Ayo
Babalola University in Osun State is the only private university licenced by the NUC to run
ODL alongside the face-to-face mode (Table 3).
10
Table 3: List of accredited private universities
N0. Name and year of establishment State N0. Name and year of establishment State
1 Achievers University, Owo – 2007 Ondo State 39 Mountain Top University – 2015
Ogun
State
2 Adeleke University, Ede – 2011 Osun State 40 Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja – 2009 FCT
3
Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti - Ekiti
State – 2009 Ekiti State 41 Novena University, Ogume – 2005
Delta
State
4
African University of Science & Technology,
Abuja – 2007 FCT 42 Obong University, Obong Ntak – 2007
Akwa
Ibom
State
5 Ajayi Crowther University, Ibadan – 2005 Oyo State 43
Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu - Osun State –
2009
Osun
State
6 Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin – 2005 Kwara State 44 Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos – 2002
Lagos
State
7 Al-Qalam University, Katsina – 2005
Katsina
State 45 Paul University, Awka - Anambra State – 2009
Anambara
State
8 American University of Nigeria, Yola – 2003
Adamawa
state 46 Redeemer's University, Mowe – 2005
Osun
State
9 Augustine University -2015 Lagos State 47 Renaissance University, Enugu – 2005
Enugu
state
10 Babcock University,Ilishan-Remo – 1999 Ogun State 48 Rhema University, Obeama-Asa – 2009
Rivers
State
11 Baze University – 2011 FCT 49
Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom –
2015
Akwa
Ibom
State
12 Bells University of Technology, Otta – 2005 Ogun State 50 Salem University, Lokoja – 2007
Kogi
State
13 Benson Idahosa University, Benin City – 2002 Edo 51 Samuel Adegboyega University, Ogwa -2011 Edo State
14 Bingham University, New Karu – 2005
Nasarawa
State 52 Southwestern University, Oku Owa – 2012
Ogun
State
15 Bowen University, Iwo – 2001 Osun Stat 53 Summit University -2015
Kwara
State
16 Caleb University, Lagos – 2007 Lagos State 54 Tansian University, Umunya – 2007
Anambra
State
17 Caritas University, Enugu – 2005 Enugu State 55 University of Mkar, Mkar – 2005
Benue
State
18 Chrisland University – 2015 Ogun State 56 Veritas University, Abuja – 2007 FCT
19 Covenant University Ota – 2002 Ogun State 57
Wellspring University, Evbuobanosa - Edo
State – 2009 Edo State
20 Crawford University Igbesa – 2005 Ogun state 58
Wesley University. of Science & Technology,
Ondo – 2007
Ondo
State
21 Crescent University – 2005 Ogun State 59
Western Delta University, Oghara Delta State –
2007
Delta
State
22 Edwin Clark University, Kaigbodo – 2015 Delta State 60 Christopher University Mowe – 2015
Ogun
State
23 Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin – 2012 Ondo State 61 Kola Daisi University Ibadan, Oyo State – 2016
24 Evangel University, Akaeze – 2012
Ebonyi
State 62 Anchor University Ayobo Lagos State – 2016
Lagos
State
11
Table 3 Continued
25 Fountain Unveristy, Oshogbo – 2007 Osun State 63 Dominican University Ibadan Oyo State – 2016 Oyo State
26
Godfrey Okoye University, Ugwuomu-Nike -
Enugu State – 2009 Enugu State 64 Legacy University, Okija Anambra State – 2016
Anambra
State
27 Gregory University, Uturu – 2012 Abia State 65
Arthur Javis University Akpoyubo Cross river
State – 2016
Cross
River
State
28 Hallmark University, Ijebi Itele, Ogun – 2015 Ogun State 66
Crown Hill University Eiyenkorin, Kwara State
– 2016
Kwara
State
29 Hezekiah University, Umudi – 2015 Imo State 67 Coal City University Enugu State – 2016
Enugu
State
30 Igbinedion University Okada – 1999 Edo State 68
Clifford University Owerrinta Abia State –
2016
Abia
State
31
Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-
Arakeji – 2006 Osun State 69 Admiralty University, Ibusa Delta State – 2017
Delta
State
32 Kings University, Ode Omu – 2015 Osun State 70 Spiritan University, Nneochi Abia State – 2017
Abia
State
33 Kwararafa University, Wukari – 2005
Taraba
State 71 Precious Cornerstone University, Oyo – 2017 Oyo State
34 Landmark University, Omu-Aran – 2011
Omu-Aran
Kwara State 72
PAMO University of Medical Sciences,
Portharcourt – 2017
Rivers
State
35 Lead City University, Ibadan – 2005 Oyo State 73 Atiba University Oyo – 2017 Oyo State
36 Madonna University, Okija – 1999 Rivers State 74
Eko University of Medical and Health Sciences
Ijanikin, Lagos – 2017
Lagos
State
37
Mcpherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Ajebo –
2012 Ogun State 75 Skyline University, Kano – 2018
Kano
State
38 Micheal & Cecilia Ibru University – 2015 Delta State
Bolded text indicates the university that is accredited to offer ODL. Source: Funmilola, 2018;
http://nuc.edu.ng/nigerian-univerisities/private-univeristies/.
Figure 4 illustrates that the establishment of private universities is skewed towards the south-
western part of Nigeria, which is the thriving zone for political and economic activities. In
order to meet the quality standards and stay afloat, most of these privately owned universities
charge exorbitant tuition fees (Ajadi et al., 2008; Bjarnason et al., 2008). Unlike public
universities that are fully dependent on government subsidies, private universities have the
flexibility to embrace change and have a better business model to cope with the ever-
increasing demand for HE education.
12
Figure 4: Spatial distribution of private universities. Data source: http://nuc.edu.ng/nigerian-
univerisities/private-univeristies/.
3. Demand and supply of university education
The increase in the number of universities reflect the soaring demand for university
education. Based on the candidates‟ university of choice, and its carrying capacity and the
cut-off admission criteria, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is
responsible for administering and managing the demand and supply of university education in
the country. Its main responsibility is to place the suitably qualified candidates in different
universities:
- Through the direct entry based on the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination
(SSCE) or;
- Through the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME). The minimum
criteria for the UTME candidate is the SSCE with a minimum of five credits
(including English and Mathematics) acquired at a maximum of two sittings or its
equivalent such as Advanced Level Certificates (Iruonagbe et al., 2015).
13
The total enrolments in federal universities represent approximately 62% of the country‟s
university students, while 33% study at state universities and 5% at private universities
(Figure 5; FME, 2016). NOUN with an average of 100,000 first year admissions per year and
a total of 450,000 students across all academic levels is the largest university in Nigeria. To
put this into perspective, the number of students admitted by NOUN is more than the total
number of students enrolled in 75 private universities. The most obvious reason is the
flexibility of ODL at NOUN, which allows students to study at their preferred location and
pace.
Figure 5: The proportion of enrolment at the three types of universities (FME, 2016).
Overall, the report by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Education (FME) for the period 1999
- 2016 indicates that the rate of admission into universities ranges between 5% and 32%
(Figure 6). In detail, a total of 417,773 candidates applied for admission in 1999/2000, but
only 78,550 candidates were admitted, which represents an admission rate of 19%. Due to the
increased enrolment which coincides with establishment of the NOUN (2002), and ODL in
particular, recent years have seen an increase in the admission rate from 5% in 2002/03 to 9%
in 2009/10, and to 32% in 2014/15.
14
Figure 6: The total number of university admission against the number of total applicants.
3.1 Quality of university education
Measuring the quality of education is both subjective and an abstract concept. Ayo-Sobowale
& Akinyemi (2011) defines quality as the educational input and output in its entirety, and
mentions the extent to which the teaching and learning facilities are accessible and effective
in ensuring that the educational programmes meet the national objectives. Nwanna (2000)
adds “adequate funding” and “human capital” to the scale of input needed to derive
acceptable, desirable, beneficial, efficient and effective university education from the
government, society, private agencies and stakeholder perspectives. When measured against
these concepts, earlier studies acknowledged the fact that university education in Nigeria is in
a state of decay (Ayo-Sobowale & Akinyemi, 2011). In the face of enrolment explosion, Aina
(2002), Babalola (2002) and Samuel (2003) also affirmed this assessment by indicating that
the public universities lack the financial resources needed to maintain the acceptable level of
quality university education.
15
Based on the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) for 2017, it is
evident that the quality of universities in Nigeria is not up to scratch (Tables 4, 5). The
Shanghai ARWU is an annual authentic ranking that grades universities based on the quality
of education, quality of faculty, research output and per capita performance (See Table 4). As
seen from the latest ranking of universities (Table 5), none of the 162 Nigerian universities is
placed in the top 2000 of the world‟s best universities. Table 5 also shows that the oldest and
best ranked university in Nigeria, the University of Ibadan, is not classified among the best
universities in Africa.
Table 4: Assessement of quality university education based Shanghai Academic Rankings of
World Universities (2017)
Quality of
Education Alumni of an institution winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals Alumni 10%
Quality of Faculty Staff of an institution winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals Award 20%
Highly cited researchers in 21 broad subject categories HiCi 20%
Research Output
Papers published in Nature and Science N&S 20%
Papers indexed in Science Citation Index-expanded and Social Science
Citation Index PUB 20%
Per Capita
Performance Per capita academic performance of an institution PCP 10%
Total 100%
16
Table 5: Academic ranking of Nigerian best university relative to the top 10 best African
universities-2017
World Ranking University Country
201-300 University of the Witwatersrand South Africa
301-400 University of Cape Town South Africa
401-500 Stellenbosch University South Africa
401-500 University of Johannesburg South Africa
401-500 University of KwaZulu Natal South Africa
501-600 University of Pretoria South Africa
601-700 North West University South Africa
701-800 University of South Africa South Africa
701-800 Ain Shams University Egypt
701-800 Alexandra University Egypt
N/A University of Ibadan Nigeria
Note: Only the top 2000 universities are reported in the shanghai ARWU. Source:
http://www.shanghairanking.com/ARWU2017.html
3.2 Transnational student mobility
Given the challenges of low admission rate and quality, seeking HE abroad has been a
frequent option for Nigerians. According to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (2017),
Nigeria has the most transnational students in Africa, with approximately 71,351 students
pursuing studies in more than 70 countries. The top six destinations for Nigerian students
include the United Kingdom (17,973), Ghana (13,919), United States (9,786), Malaysia
(4,943), Ukraine (3,328) and Canada (3,257) (Figure 7; https://wenr.wes.org), and more
recently South Africa.
17
Figure 7: Transnational student mobility: Top six inbound countries for Nigerians seeking
university education for 2017. Source: https://wenr.wes.org.
Insights from some Nigerian learners studying with the University of South Africa (UNISA)
through International Distance Education (IDE), highlights quality issues and a lack of broad-
spectrum of study programmes in the local universities as additional “push factors”
influencing transnational student mobility. A 3rd
year Electrical Clinical Engineering said:
UNISA gave me the opportunity to study the course i am taking at present which is lacking
in almost all tertiary institution here in Nigeria except for a few private universities.
However, quality is still a doubt.
This is echoed by a first year Nigerian student pursuing BTech Mechanical Engineering with
UNISA:
I decided to study at UNISA to advance academically in my field. Also UNISA allows me
to do Distance Learning which schools in my country do not allow me to do. The flexibility
of combining work and studying makes me choose to study with UNISA
4. ODL: A strategy for increasing greater access to education
The dilemma facing the Nigerian university education system is twofold. On one hand, the
government and the universities are faced with an ever-increasing demand for university
18
education while on the other hand the government is unable to adequately fund the existing
universities in the country. Even though some advocate the establishment of more
universities, it is clear that the current policy of establishing more institutions of HE is not
working. Quoting Albert Einstein, this approach is like “…doing the same thing over and
over again, but expecting different results.” Indeed, policy makers, particularly the Federal
Ministry of Education and the National University Commission, need to evolve their strategy
on delivering university education.
However, there are strategies for ameliorating some of these challenges, especially that of
unmet demand for education. NOUN, a university with the largest number of student
enrolment, provides a synopsis on the promise of ODL to deliver greater access to university
education in Nigeria. Teaching and learning at NOUN is dependent on the use of information
and communication technology such as access to a computer and internet, and use of open-
source learning management system, e-mail and social media platforms (Yusuf, 2006). The
university‟s most common form of instruction is the delivery of printed study material
(60.5%), radio (13%), email (10.2%), text messaging (8.4%), television (6.5%), online
learning (4.7%) and teleconferencing (3.7%). Because ODL is not restricted by classroom
carrying capacity, a properly regulated ODL in Nigeria can enable increased access to
education.
There is a need for increased efforts to harness ODL and e-learning in universities (Jegede,
2003; Sadeq, 2003; Abdulkadir, 2016). Emphasis on ODL is important for several cogent
reasons. Firstly, the vast majority of the population lives below poverty level and are unable
to attend the conversional face-to-face university education despite their academic excellence
and potential. Secondly, ODL is important for promoting lifelong learning opportunities,
19
particularly for people in full time work and with family commitments. Thirdly, ODL
provides university access to individuals with physical disabilities or individuals who
excluded because of the remoteness of localities.
4.1 Challenges of ODL
The transition and deviation from the common practice of the traditional face-face teaching
and learning is a challenge for Africa, a continent which lags behind the rest of the world
with regard to ICT. Because ODL is strange to most people, effective institutionalisation face
challenges relating to quality and acceptability:
- Poor societal perception: ODL is perceived by African societies as being an inferior
mode of learning than the classroom teaching and learning mode. In Nigeria, ODL is
seen as a cheap strategy for containing educational demand without meeting the
required quality assurance (Ojo & Olakulehin, 2006). The leading ODL universities
have done little to better improve the societal perception of ODL. For instance, the
lower entry requirements by UNISA, and enrolling individuals with no qualifications
by the OU have led to a notion that a qualification acquired via ODL is substandard
(Gaskell & Mills, 2014).
- Inequality of access to digital technology: Due to a large proportion of economically
disadvantaged people in Nigeria, the cost of a computer or laptop is still very high for
an average worker. Only a small number of individuals have access to a personal
computer and internet connection. These inequalities have continued to undermine the
effective use of ICT, and the acceptance of technology-enhanced learning in ODL.
20
- Persistent load shedding: The unstable supply of electricity has been a long-standing
setback for technological development in Nigeria. This interrupted supply is due to
the high demand for electricity, which is worsened by mismanagement, vandalism
and obsolesce of power stations. Therefore, having access to a computer and internet
is not enough for effective use of ICT in ODL.
5. Lessons learnt
From 1948 - 2002, a typical response to an upsurge in the demand for university education
was to increase the infrastructural capacity of classroom sizes and/or the number of
universities (Ajadi, 2010). This has led to the current predicament, where the Federal
Government is unable to adequately fund the increased number of universities. This scenario
has continued to compromise the delivery of quality university education in Nigeria. In the
current information society, advancements in ICT has triggered the need for a paradigm shift,
with NOUN embracing ODL as an innovative, cost effective and alternative approach for
delivering university education.
A snapshot from NOUN, the only institution that delivers university education through
distance learning mode, suggests that ODL is a cost-effective approach on the part of the
government, policy makers and universities to increase access to university education. This
means that policy-makers should change their strategy for delivering education, with focus on
ODL and investment in ICT facilities. The observed poor societal perception about
technology-enhanced learning indicates that little is known about ODL. Societal acceptance
of ODL is dependent on quality promotion and implementation of quality assurance
mechanisms such as a harmonised curricula and exams for all the leaners, regardless of the
teaching and learning mode, traditional classroom settings, ODL or blended learning.
21
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