Digital inclusion and tertiary education in Ogun State

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The Ogun State Government has this week began to implement phased easing of the lockdown occasioned by the Covid19 epidemic. This week also happens to be an epoch worthy of note, reflection or celebration depending on how one sees it. It is the Governor’s first year in office, and he also turns 60 years of age. The Governor sure deserves diamonds this week, but unfortunately, the times are constraining. Happy birthday in arrears is in order.

The intent to pen this article is for constructive value and in public-spiritedness. It is by no means partisan scrutiny or criticism of the performance of the Governor but an attempt at a focused analysis of a sector and related policies of the State government. Science and good governance should be elevated over politics.

The area of focus would be Digital Inclusion in the tertiary education sector in these crises times and beyond. The crisis has brought about the realisation of the substantial infrastructure gaps and investment deficits by previous governments in this crucial sector of Human Capital Development. I will focus more on Ogun State, with some reference to Lagos State because Lagos borders Ogun by over 60% of all boundaries. However, Lagos is on its own league due to its economic advantage and being the topmost contributor with more than 26% of Nigeria’s GDP, and over 50% of non-oil GDP. One continues to wonder why the Gateway State has not maximised its proximity to Lagos to become the industrial and human capital resource centre for Lagos and indeed West Africa.

Ogun State has the highest number of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. With twelve universities, seven polytechnics, and four colleges of education of health, eleven belong to the private sector, and the State government owns four while the Federal Government has nine. One would ordinarily expect a high concentration of quality human capital available to serve the needs of the State and its environs, but this seems not to be the case.

A recent study of over 700 students, 62% of whom were locked down in Ogun state showed that only about 61% of them had continuous learning and classes. About 20% of the respondents had no means and had to resort to online study or self-study. 45% of the respondents are taking their courses via WhatsApp and Telegram social media platforms. The innovative ways the classes are coordinated is also quite interesting. About 65% of the respondents cannot afford data, do not have a smart device or have little or no internet access in their locations, meaning an access problem. 16% of the respondents have a problem learning anything; 77 % do not feel they are learning better. In comparison, only about 40% think learning has been effective. Less than 30% are satisfied with the mode of delivery. At the same time, the majority would want things to normalise and be back to pre-Covid19 status quo.

It is clear from the above that a more significant percentage of the students of the tertiary institutions in Ogun State have limited or no access to optimal data. What is also obvious is that there is a huge pedagogic gap in these institutions and the majority of the students lack digital inclusion. The “Digiclass program” provided for students in primary and secondary schools during the pandemic period could have had a more significant impact if there was a holistic approach to technology adoption and implementation in the State. Primary and secondary school education have their own unique devils and a different conversation, but archaic or lack of pedagogy common to the educational system at all levels.
According to the Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-2025, Ogun State has less than 30% 4G coverage and with most Local Governments having less than 100,000 enrollments to the National Identity Management System. Also, 70% of Ogun State population is within 5km of Optic Fiber Cable(OFC), compared to Lagos with over 40% 4G coverage and 85% of the people within 5km radius of an Optic Fiber connection. Data and connectivity remain critical for economic planning, good governance and overall GDP growth. Note that the 4G coverage the State enjoys is as a result of proximity to Lagos, and mostly in the border towns and along the highways.

It is ironic to have such a number of tertiary institutions and broadband availability per capita and not be the industry and human capital hub of Nigeria and West Africa. Ogun State seems to have lost the pride of academic excellence and quality human capital it was known for. Human capital readiness for the industries of the future is below par. We clearly missed the second and third industrial revolution trains, but technology ubiquity and the abundance of trainable youth puts us at an advantage to hopefully leapfrog through the third industrial revolution to the fourth. Nigeria and most of Africa still have ten or more years to catch up on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR); therefore we have to be realistic and grounded at the third before we can hopefully leapfrog to the fourth.

We risk a major deficit or disadvantage both as a contributor to the global human capital requirements of competencies in the present and future industries or for the development of the State. What can the Ogun State Government do, what are the deliberate, purposeful measures to be taken now? Below are some of my thoughts;
Develop a State Broadband plan that will foster or accelerate access and connectivity across the board. Use more data to inform policy planning and State development.
Implement initiatives that will ensure utilisation of the excess capacity across the State. Numerous last-mile technologies can be implemented on a commercial and affordable scale through partnerships with the private sector.

Conduct a more detailed impact assessment or study of the correlation between remote learning and improved learning outcomes among students as has been occasioned by Covid19. The study may help the government device innovative ways to manage the current congestions in most classes of the tertiary institutions. Research has shown that less than 20% of the students get to learn or assimilate anything from the course, most just have to be present in the classes to mark attendance or fulfill the righteousness of being in school.

According to the International Telecommunication Union(ITU), a 10% increase in fixed broadband penetration results in a 1.9% increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of an economy. This is a significant economic contribution and government should incentivise the private sector for increased investment. Some progressive states have reduced or eliminated Right of Way(RoW) cost, while another has an ICT policy driven by a Chief Information Officer(CIO). It is okay to copy policies, adapting, and proper implementation is what matters.

Access to digital devices is also a challenge, as studies have shown that 50% live below-median line for the affordability of broadband services. If one cannot afford broadband service, one is most likely unable to afford the device itself. The government can implement a digital inclusion initiative that improves device access, particularly for students.
Require mandatory upgrade of teachers and lecturers to 21st-century pedagogy skills. With the right framework, coupled with monitoring and evaluation, these interventions can be delivered at an optimal cost by the government.
At the primary and secondary level, consider STEM education more seriously, forge the right collaboration with the Federal Government to overhaul curricula and pedagogic skills of teachers. These are foundation issues for a different discussion, but like the good book says, if the foundation is faulty, what can we do?

Oluseyi G. Olufade-Olowookere. May 29 2020.

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