By now, it should be obvious to everyone that the performance of the Nigerian Government and its publicly-owned higher institutions amid this COVID-19 crisis has been woefully inadequate. The advanced countries of the world are today celebrating the “Class 2020 graduates-” the special set of graduating students, who for the first time, in many universities’ history, are having their convocation virtually.
Nigeria’s educational sector is poorly funded though our leaders may have a different view. A total of N3.9trn was budgeted for the whole sector in ten years . Compare this to Harvard’s total fund value of $40.9 billion for the 2019 fiscal year alone and you have an idea of what it takes to run a world class university. Before I am accused of comparing apples and oranges, let me state that the problem in Nigeria’s educational system goes beyond underfunding.
I had over an hour of telephone conversation with a lecturer in one of the federal universities in the country in my last article, titled, “How effective is online teaching now? My experience”. The lecturer, a professor of Chemical and Processing Engineering, who claimed to have been in the system for more than 20 years, told me that he does not have an official laptop. To him, it is immoral for a government that failed to provide tools for online training to expect lecturers to deliver.
We have reached the point where the NUC may have to mandate all lecturers to prepare their lecture notes in modules for online delivery. Of course, lecturers should be trained in the use of ICT for online teaching delivery. In the same vein, university ICT departments should be manned by real professionals. There should be a new focus on ICT development in all learning institutions. If this is the only thing we can achieve from this COVID-19 crisis, it is worth it.
You guys are kidding. let's see how it plays