Distance Learning Students Now Equal to On-Campus Scholars – UNILAG VC

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, has reaffirmed that students of the institution’s Distance Learning Institute (DLI) are no longer regarded as inferior to their full-time counterparts.

Speaking at the fourth international colloquium of the DLI, Prof. Ogunsola explained that the university has harmonised admission processes and academic standards to ensure that both sets of students receive the same quality of education and recognition.

According to her, graduates of both streams now earn identical certificates without any distinction, a strategic move aimed at eliminating the long-standing stigma associated with distance learning in Nigeria’s labour market.

“The stigma attached to DLI graduates is more perception than fact,” she said. “We have tightened quality assurance and ensured that admission into the programme meets the same standards as the regular stream. Our certificates do not carry any label differentiating distance learning students from other UNILAG graduates.”

Currently, the ratio of DLI to full-time students at UNILAG stands at 1:3. However, the university plans to scale up distance learning enrolment from about 12,000 to 50,000 students in the coming years. Prof. Ogunsola noted that while technology has made expansion possible, internet access remains a challenge, especially in rural communities.

“To reach underserved areas is our biggest challenge. Last-mile internet access is largely a government responsibility, but we continue to engage stakeholders to make it possible,” she added.

The Director of DLI, Prof. Risikat Dauda, also highlighted the need to make open and flexible learning more inclusive. She stressed that the programme should not only benefit the wealthy or urban residents with access to laptops and fast internet, but also rural dwellers with limited electricity and basic devices.

“Inclusion means asking if the poorest child in Zamfara can benefit as much as a banker’s daughter in Ikoyi,” she explained. “Technology is the present of education, not just the future. But our teaching methods must reflect Nigeria’s realities of limited bandwidth, multilingualism, and erratic power supply.”

Prof. Dauda advocated for more personalised and adaptive learning models, including the use of artificial intelligence to support students based on their individual needs and contexts.

In her keynote address, Dr. Nicole Lotz of the Open University, UK, emphasized that the future of distance learning lies in social learning and curriculum design that incorporates student feedback.

Also speaking, Prof. Chukunoye Ochonogor of Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa, stressed the importance of digital literacy and culturally relevant teaching methods, noting that education must prepare communities for sustainable development and lifelong learning.

The colloquium, themed “Future-Proofing Open, Flexible and Distance Learning: Balancing Innovation, Inclusion and Sustainability,” featured contributions from several academics, including Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, Prof. Ganiyat Adesina-Uthman, Prof. Chrissi Nerantzi, and Prof. Oyesoji Aremu.