The National Association of University Students (NAUS), National Association of Nigerian Colleges of Education Students (NANCES) and National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) have called for the expansion of the Electronic Education Initiative (E-DON) to universities and polytechnics across Nigeria.
The student bodies made the demand during a joint press conference at the weekend, describing the initiative as a major step towards strengthening digital teaching and learning in tertiary institutions.
They urged the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Committee of Vice Chancellors to adopt the programme across universities nationwide.
The students also appealed to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Committee of Rectors to extend the initiative to polytechnics.
According to the associations, E-DON should be deployed to at least one lecture hall in every department of tertiary institutions to ensure that more students benefit from digital and interactive learning opportunities.
They said wider adoption of the initiative would strengthen Nigeria’s digital education ecosystem and expose students to international academic collaborations through virtual live lectures with partner institutions across the world.
The student leaders noted that E-DON had already demonstrated its potential in several Colleges of Education across the country and argued that expanding the programme would further promote technology-driven teaching and learning.
They commended the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Dr Angela Ajala, the Committee of Provosts and other stakeholders for supporting the implementation of the initiative in Colleges of Education.
The associations said the programme could help promote global education partnerships through virtual interactive classrooms while improving the ability of Nigerian students and lecturers to compete with their counterparts internationally.
They added that wider deployment would help tertiary institutions gradually move away from conventional learning methods and embrace modern educational technologies.
E-DON promotes indigenous educational technology and interactive learning solutions through tools such as 3D animation simulation software and QR-enabled interactive smartboards.
The student bodies also called on state governors to urgently resolve disputes involving the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) in state-owned institutions.
According to them, prolonged industrial disputes and strikes continue to disrupt academic activities and negatively affect students’ education.
The associations further commended the Minister of Education for efforts aimed at improving the education sector, stressing that sustained investment in digital infrastructure and innovative learning technologies would better prepare Nigerian students for a technology-driven global economy
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