THE ROLE OF ICT ON EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

THE ROLE OF ICT ON EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study investigates the role of ICT on educational development in Nigeria. ICT in Education is an instrument par excellence that a nation can rely upon to bring about self-reliance. The study observed that Nigeria still experience a lag in its implementation, and this continue to widen the digital and knowledge divides and the access to ICT facilities is a major challenge facing most African countries. The study concludes that despite the roles ICT can play in education, schools in Nigeria have yet to extensively adopt them for teaching and learning. Efforts geared towards integration of ICT into the school system have not had much impact. Problems such as poor policy, project implementation strategies and poor information infrastructure militate against these efforts. The study recommends that efforts should be made by government to post and provide teachers skilled in ICT to each school to impart ICT skills to the student and also should stabilize electricity supply in Nigeria.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0     Background to Study

Information and communication technology (ICT) is one of the most important driving forces promoting economic growth in the economy. However, there is less of a consensus among economists on whether the impact of ICT also stems from higher total factor productivity (TFP) growth and improved efficiency of production (due to a better educated population). During the last two decades countries have invested heavily in ICT. Indeed, the use of ICT in education and training has been a key priority in Nigeria in the last decade, although progress has been uneven. ICT has had a major impact on the education sector, on organisation and on teaching and learning methods. Yet there are considerably different ICT expenditure levels between institutions within the country. Some schools have embedded ICT into the curriculum, and demonstrate high levels of effective and appropriate ICT use to support teaching and learning across a wide range of subject areas. However, some other schools are in the early phase of adopting ICT, characterised by important enhancements of the learning process, some developments of e-learning (ICT-enabled learning), but without any profound improvements in learning and teaching (Balanskat et al., 2006).

THE ROLE OF ICT ON EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA