Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has called on Nigeria to embrace Open and Distance Learning (ODL) as a national necessity, saying it is critical to meeting the country’s growing demand for university education.
Osinbajo made the call on Tuesday at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Distance Learning Institute’s Fifth International Colloquium in Lagos.
The colloquium was themed “Reimagining Open Distance Learning Ecosystem: Technology, Policy and Institutional Priorities.”
Osinbajo said more than 2.2 million young Nigerians seek university admission annually, while the country’s tertiary education system has historically admitted only about 25 per cent of applicants.
He projected that Nigeria’s population could approach 250 million by 2036, with annual university applicants potentially rising to 2.7 million or even exceeding three million.
According to him, conventional universities would struggle to provide enough lecture theatres, laboratories, hospitals and physical campuses to accommodate the projected demand.
He therefore described ODL as a national necessity rather than an alternative to conventional university education.
Osinbajo said technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), could help institutions combine mass access with personalised learning.
He explained that thousands of students could have access to AI tutors capable of explaining concepts, testing understanding, translating learning materials and providing personalised feedback.
The former Vice-President also said professionals would increasingly need to acquire new skills as technology transforms sectors including law, accounting, banking and engineering.
He stressed that technology should remain a tool for human development, adding that its value would lie in expanding human capabilities and opportunities.
Osinbajo urged stakeholders to develop practical policies covering technology, lecturer training, assessment and AI to prepare Nigeria’s higher education system for future demands.
He said distance learning could eventually become the principal means through which Nigeria fulfils its promise of university education to millions of citizens.
Osinbajo commended UNILAG’s DLI for its pioneering role in distance learning and urged the institute to help shape the future of the sector.
Earlier, UNILAG Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, said ODL was critical to expanding access to higher education amid Nigeria’s growing youth population.
Ogunsola said Nigeria had about 89 million youths aged between 15 and 30, adding that the traditional university model could no longer adequately meet the country’s growing demand for higher education.
She said ODL provided opportunities for workers, persons with disabilities and people living far from university campuses to access flexible higher education.
According to Ogunsola, UNILAG no longer indicates distance learning on certificates, reflecting its position that ODL graduates should enjoy equal recognition with conventional graduates.
She said ODL should move beyond content delivery to connected learning, improved engagement, personalised education and stronger learning outcomes.
Ogunsola added that AI could support personalised learning, immediate feedback, content development, assessment and early identification of struggling students.
However, she emphasised the need to protect academic integrity, data privacy and intellectual property, while addressing algorithmic bias and digital inequality.
Ogunsola urged stakeholders to develop policies that support innovation while protecting academic standards, equity and the integrity of qualifications.
She also called for institutional strategies to make ODL an integral part of universities’ core operations.
Prof. Risikat Dauda, Director of UNILAG’s DLI, said ODL was becoming central to expanding access, closing skills gaps and preparing citizens for a changing labour market.
Dauda identified inadequate broadband, high data costs, digital literacy gaps and concerns about employers’ perception of ODL qualifications among the challenges facing Nigeria’s distance learning ecosystem.
She urged stakeholders to ensure that recommendations from the colloquium translate into institutional strategies, regulatory guidelines and national policies.
Dauda said Nigeria could not afford to allow valuable ideas from the colloquium to remain in a communique.
She described the future of ODL as flexible, lifelong and increasingly technology-driven, while stressing the need to preserve its human purpose.
The colloquium featured Osinbajo as chairman, while Emeritus Prof. Stephen Brown delivered the keynote address.
Participants included academics and policymakers from Nigeria, Ghana, the United Kingdom and other countries.
