Vice-Chancellor of the 水果派 of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Olufemi Peters, has expressed the university鈥檚 readiness to champion and promote the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode of education across the African continent.
Peters stated this at a聽2-day workshop on Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Policy Development for Government Officials in West Africa, held聽on Wednesday, April 17, 2024聽at the headquarters of the university, Abuja.
Delegates from Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Togo聽attended the聽event,聽organised by the聽NOUN鈥檚聽Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDOL), in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL),聽Canada.
The event aimed聽to equip senior government officials with the necessary tools to develop robust ODL policies, had the theme:聽“ODL Development for Senior Government Officials in West Africa.”
The Vice-Chancellor, in his speech,聽emphasised the necessity of educational reforms to meet the demands of the 21st-Century workforce,聽as聽influenced significantly by technology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact, Peters noted the surge in distance learning adoption, underlying ODL’s role in bridging skill gaps for sustainable development聽and聽stressed the importance of robust national ODL policies to drive advancements in higher education and ensure inclusivity.
Drawing from NOUN’s experience, he highlighted the institution’s commitment to accessible, quality education and its leadership in promoting ODL across Africa,聽expressing聽optimism that the workshop’s outcomes would facilitate the development of contextualised national ODL policies, fostering regional collaboration for sustainable development.
Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the ECOWAS, Ambassador Musa Nuhu, represented by the Deputy Head of Mission Mr. Muhammad Suleiman Isa, highlighted the workshop’s importance in advancing education in the region.
Emphasising the pivotal role of education in societal progress, Amb.聽Nuhu underscored ODL as a vital avenue for expanding learning opportunities, particularly in regions with limited traditional educational resources.
He commended the organisers for assembling a distinguished group of stakeholders, ensuring a high-quality dialogue on policy development聽and noted the workshop’s alignment with ECOWAS’ goals of sustainable development and citizen empowerment.
According to him, the workshop聽showcased聽the synergy between RETRIDOL and ECOWAS in enhancing education access across the sub-region.
Nuhu聽stressed the importance of robust discussions and shared best practices among participants, highlighting the potential for collaborative solutions to regional challenges in ODL policy development聽and聽expressed confidence in the workshop’s outcomes, foreseeing effective policies to emerge from the collective expertise of senior government officials.
Earlier, the聽RETRIDOL聽Director,聽Prof. Christine Ofulue, welcomed the聽participants聽from Ghana, Cameroon, Togo, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone聽to聽the聽workshop, expressing delight at the diverse representation,聽and聽underscored聽the workshop’s regional significance.
The聽director聽emphasised the聽RETRIDOL’s mandate聽and聽explained聽its commitment to capacity building, regional networking, and fostering partnerships for the promotion of ODL.
Drawing attention to previous initiatives,聽she聽noted the workshop’s continuity from past聽endeavours, including workshops on ODL and Digital Policy initiatives held in Ghana and Nigeria.
With esteemed facilitators, Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede and Prof. Francis Egbokhare, leading the workshop, the聽director expressed optimism for an enriching and interactive session aimed at聽catalysing聽national ODL policy development, review, or implementation.