Coping with emergent skills: an appraisal of the provision and integration of ICT infrastructures in Nigerian universities

A O Ogunleye, C O Oke and B F Adeoye
University of Lagos,
Lagos, Nigeria

As a result of the major advances in technology which now influence so many aspects of our lives and work, many universities have embraced the huge challenge of using technology in education as part of a transition from process- to information-based activities, from an individual to a collaborative approach, and from knowledge-oriented to skill-oriented learning. Information and communications technologies (ICT) increasingly dominate universities' agendas, particularly given the global concern for increasing access for the vast number of people seeking higher education. To this end, many universities in developed counties have adopted e-learning and virtual universities as a panacea for this problem.

The primary purpose of this paper is to review the state of university education in Nigeria, including factors which militate against its relevance and efficiency.

The paper provides an empirical investigation of four key areas in the provision and integration of ICT in Nigerian universities -- namely, its impact on the lecturers, the learners, the institutions and the overall policies on higher education. In addition, it examines how Nigerian students are coping with e-learning technologies which provide individuals around the world with the convenience of constructing a virtual global learning community.

Finally, the external forces and factors that are making institutions introduce and use ICT are analysed, with a particular focus on the role of globalization and increasing competition.