The University of Abuja, now officially renamed Yakubu Gowon University, is launching fully online degree programmes that allow students to attend lectures and take examinations remotely. The institution aims to increase its Open and Distance Learning (ODL) enrolment from fewer than 4,000 students to at least 10,000 in the short term, with future targets of 20,000 and eventually 30,000 learners.
Partnership with Edutech Global
The announcement was made on Friday during the signing of a partnership agreement between the university and education technology company Edutech Global in Lagos. The collaboration provides a complete digital learning system, including a learning management system, virtual classrooms, online examination platforms, remote proctoring technology, student support services, content digitisation, and learner recruitment.
Complete digital learning system
According to Prof. Uche Anaduaka, Director of the Centre for Distance Learning and Continuing Education, the previous distance learning model still required students to visit campus for lectures and examinations, which limited enrolment. “For now, we have fewer than 4,000 students because what we had was not a complete distance learning system. Students still had to come to the university for lectures and examinations. Now everything will be online as it should be,” she said.
She added: “Our target is to grow gradually to 10,000 students, then 20,000 and even 30,000 as we continue to expand and attract learners from Nigeria and other parts of the world.”
Benefits for working Nigerians
The programme is designed to benefit working-class Nigerians who struggle to combine jobs with full-time university education. “Distance learning programmes are meant for people who are already working and may not have all the time for regular classroom studies. It brings flexibility. Students can progress at their own pace, take the number of courses their schedules permit and complete their programmes within the approved duration,” Anaduaka explained.
The university currently offers five accredited undergraduate distance learning programmes alongside six weekend part-time programmes. It also plans to introduce about 10 postgraduate programmes while expanding its undergraduate offerings once more courses receive approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Edutech to power technology infrastructure
Bunmi Akinyemiju, Chief Executive Officer of Venture Garden Group, the parent company of Edutech Global, said the company would provide everything needed to run a modern digital university. “What Edutech provides is, first, the technology and software. Second, the infrastructure to convert learning content and support connectivity. We also provide virtual classroom technology, student acquisition services and 24-hour support for learners,” he said.
He stressed that the university remains fully in charge of admissions, lecturers, curriculum, examinations and certificates. “The university has the brand, the institution, the curriculum, the certificates and the lecturers. What Edutech comes to do is to amplify the impact of the professors. A professor who may ordinarily teach about 500 students in a year can, through technology, impact as many as 5,000 students annually.”
Akinyemiju added that the partnership is expected to last for 10 years to ensure long-term success. He also revealed that discussions are ongoing with financial institutions to introduce student loan options that could make online education more affordable.
Technology as the enabler for scale
Olufemi Shonubi, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Edutech Global, said Nigeria can no longer rely on physical classrooms alone because millions of qualified candidates compete for limited university admission spaces every year. “To teach and learn at scale, technology has to be the enabler. The physical infrastructure we have today is not enough to meet the growing demand, and that is the solution technology provides.”
Shonubi pointed to the company's work with other institutions, including Ahmadu Bello University, Babcock University, Hillside University of Science and Technology, and Corona College of Education. He noted that Ahmadu Bello University’s distance learning centre now serves over 50,000 active learners online. “Today, Ahmadu Bello University Distance Learning Centre has over 50,000 active learners online. No physical university infrastructure would have accommodated that number within such a short period. Technology has validated itself as the solution.”
He also addressed concerns about poor internet service and electricity, saying Edutech has developed an offline-first model that allows students to study without staying connected to the internet all the time. “We provide offline-enabled devices with preloaded learning materials. Students do not have to rely on the internet to study their course contents. They only need connectivity for discussions, assessments and live classes. That reduces internet requirements significantly and improves accessibility.”
Shonubi reiterated that students would deal directly with the university while Edutech remains the technology partner behind the scenes. “We power the infrastructure, the operations and the processes. Students are interacting with the University of Abuja, not with Edutech. Everything they see is the university; we provide the engine running behind the scenes.” He added that expanding online learning would also help universities increase internally generated revenue without spending heavily on new physical buildings.
