President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), has urged Nigerian Universities and other educational institutions to innovate by embracing information and communication technology (ICT) or go into extinction.
The NBA boss gave the task while delivering the Convocation Lecture at Thursday’s 53rd University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) ceremony.
He lamented that the Nigerian educational system had yet to fully embrace innovative ICT changes, especially in teaching, learning, and research.
The NBA president, Osigwe, who spoke on the topic “Harnessing Technological Innovation in Teaching and Learning,” stressed that Nigerian students rank relatively low on global performance indices, reflecting systemic issues.
“According to a UNESCO report (2022), only 18% of Nigerian university graduates are considered employable by international standards, while over 50% of employers in Nigeria expressed dissatisfaction with graduates’ preparedness for the workplace,” he stated.
He declared that Universities cannot effectively serve society unless “our educational system recognises the tremendous changes brought by technology, globalisation, and mobility,” even as he called for reforming the nation’s educational system.
He acknowledged challenges in the nation’s educational system, saying, “I will be the first to admit that transforming education is a complex task, replete with challenges that demand immediate attention. Our education system grapples with chronic underfunding, resulting in a dire shortage of essential resources.
“It struggles to attract and retain qualified teachers due to low salaries, poor infrastructure, insufficient teaching tools, poor working conditions, and inadequate training opportunities. I have, however, chosen to focus on the transformative effect of deploying technological innovations in teaching and learning.”
Speaking on how Nigerian universities can adapt their teaching and learning frameworks to embrace technological innovations, Osigwe said this could be done by encompassing and integrating information and communications technology (ICT), utilising virtual learning environments, designing dynamic curricula, and exploring emerging fields in educational sciences.
“I ask us to reflect: Since independence, have our teaching methods—reliant on lecture-based delivery without visual aids—and our students’ learning approaches, which have primarily centred around passing exams, truly evolved?
“Globally, universities are rooted in the liberal arts tradition, which seeks to liberate the mind from immediate constraints, broaden perspectives, and enable conceptual and analytical thinking. While this approach has its merits, it often neglects practical applications and fails to integrate technological advancements into teaching and learning.
“In Nigeria, this mindset has led to an overemphasis or reliance on theoretical knowledge, to the detriment of developing adaptable skills suited to the realities of today’s world.
“The Nigerian Education Roadmap (2023) lays out ambitious reform plans, focusing on advancing digital infrastructure, improving teachers’ training, and rethinking curriculum delivery.
“One notable development is the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) transition from Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) to Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS). This shift aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice by embedding practical skill acquisition within university curricula.
“Despite these efforts, translating these reforms into measurable outcomes remains challenging. Technology integration in professional (e.g., law, medicine, engineering) and non-professional disciplines has been slow and inconsistent, leaving Nigerian graduates ill-prepared to compete globally.
“Technology in Nigerian universities often remains an afterthought. Libraries are largely analogue and ill-equipped, search mechanisms are manual, and classrooms rely heavily on traditional in-person teaching with minimal use of online platforms. However, few public universities maintain course websites or provide digital resources for students,” he stated.
The acting vice-chancellor, Prof Polycarp Chigbu, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Sen (General Rtd) Ike Nwachikwu, and the Chairman of the occasion, former Gov of Zamfara State, Alh. Aliyu Shinkafi, also the pro-chancellor of the governor of Modibbo University, Yola, Adamawa State, expressed optimism that the lecture would provide a roadmap for Nigerian universities desirous of innovating in ICT.
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