Minister Lists Benefits Of E-Teaching

The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’I, has said that the concept of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) being used in teaching and learning in universities is a must.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mrs Funmi Oyemade, the Information Officer of the Ministry of Education on Monday in Abuja.

The statement said Rufa’I made the remark at the inauguration of Electronic Teaching and Learning at the universities of Uyo and Calabar.

She described ICT as the key to the needed transformation in the education sector.

Rufa’I recalled that on November 16, 2011, the Federal Government approved the establishment of the pilot phase of the Nigerian Universities e-teaching and Learning Platform in 12 universities in the six geo-political zones.

She said the gesture was aimed at building the capacities of students to compete intellectually with their counterparts in other parts of the world.

“The government provided 20 interactive boards with networking capacities, high resolution audio visual teaching and capacity building for an e-context development for the actualisation of the programme.

“Every university is expected to have digitalised electronic journals and e-Library and private universities are to use a guide print in the model institutions to develop their ICT resource centre, equipped with digitalised electronic journals.”

The minister added that this would help to build effective platform for teaching and learning, especially with large audience.

She said it would also open up universities to the world, revolutionise information dissemination technique and allow free flow of learning through the Internet.

On his part, Prof. Julius Okojie, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), said that Information Technology must be placed in its rightful position in all higher institutions.

Okojie said there was no turning back on government’s mandate on ICT, adding that “Nigerian universities must rise to the challenges of IT.”

He pleaded with students not to destroy whatever had been put in place for them in schools, as the proper use of the electronic scheme and learning concepts would enhance the learning process.

Okojie said that through ICT, there would be assurance of the production of better graduates and access to state-of-the-art content and transformation of information dissemination technique.

Also speaking, Prof. Comfort Ekpo, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, said that for effective electronic teaching and learning platform to succeed in universities, there should be adequate funding.

Ekpo appealed to government to extend the intervention fund promised to new universities to the University of Uyo.