Babcock, Edutech partner to offer e-learning programmes

BABCOCK University and Edutech Advanced Business Solutions, a private education technology company championing e-Learning in Nigeria, last week signed an agreement to deploy e-Learning solutions for some of its programmes.

   With this agreement, Babcock becomes the first private university in Nigeria to adopt e-Learning for its programmes.

   Speaking at the ceremony, the President/Vice Chancellor of Babcock University, Prof. James Kayode Makinde, said: “e-Learning is the way of the future and we are delighted to be a part of it. It is a significant day for Babcock University and for Nigeria because this development makes education accessible, available and affordable. 

   “The e-Learning programme would allow Babcock quadruple its student population while still maintaining existing infrastructure because students will be able to have access to education without necessarily being in the classroom,” he said.

   According to the General Manager of Edutech, Prof. Abiola Awosika, the company is “Committed to revolutionising education in Africa by taking education from the conventional classroom experience to a virtual platform, thereby eliminating the challenges of time and space. 

   “We are working with schools across Nigeria to provide the vital logistical components of their online programmes, including comprehensive student support services from orientation to enrolment and through to graduation, as well as practical learning experiences within distant communities around the country,” Awosika added.

   The MoU kicks off a series of activities to prepare the university for the e-Learning programme. These include setting up of the hosting and networking infrastructure, course content digitising and video lecture capture. All of these deployments will create a suitable environment for the constant functioning of e-Learning channels and materials to ensure 24-hours accessibility.

   Upon the National University Commission’s (NUC) approval, courses for the e-Learning programme will be announced.

   Higher education in Nigeria is presently facing a critical challenge to meet new demands for the 21st century. With a population of over 160 million, comprising 50-60 percent of youths aged 16 years or less, those seeking access to education at all levels – primary, secondary and tertiary are considerable.

   Also, over 1.6 million applicants seek admission every year to universities and even with as many as 128 universities (federal, state and private) presently in Nigeria, only a fraction (less than 30 percent) of the applicants get places in universities as a result of constraints of space, time and location.