Adesina-Uthman, Ganiyat (2013)

For the Nigerians, Open and Distance Learning (ODL) is a promising and practical strategy tosolve the challenge of widening access and increasing participation in tertiary education. It isincreasingly being accepted as an educational delivery standard which is viable, cost-effective,and flexible without sacrificing quality. This paper seeks to appraise the Nigeria experience ofopen and distance learning education with emphasis on its promises, performance andchallenges. Primary data obtained from the existing documents of the National Open Universityof Nigeria and the National University Commission were analyzed. The research found out thatNational Open University of Nigeria has reduced the number of many qualified Nigerians whoare willing to obtain higher education but denied access due to one barrier or the other. However,the provision of higher education opportunities through ODL came with some challenges such asstudents’ attitudes, attitude of facilitators and academic staff as well as poor funding fromgovernment. For distance learning education to be sustainable it needs to be well funded, engageand train more academic staff in line with the operations of open and distance learning educationmode and at the same time ensure that learners enjoy an educational experience that would leadto quality learning experience.Keywords: Open and Distance Learning Education, Tertiary Education, Promises,Performance and Challenges