Ahimie, B.; Ikuburuju-Orola, A.; Oizimende, P. (2021)

Counselling services are common features in conventional school settings and are designed tohelp students resolve personal and academic issues, explore career options and attend to theirsocial needs. It is of great concern that these services are absent in Open and Distance Learning(ODL) programmes, although the peculiar nature of the programmes reveals the urgent need forthem. ODL students should be able to access guidance and counselling services just as theircounterparts in the conventional school setting. The main focus of this article is to point out therelevance of professional guidance and counselling services in ODL programmes in Nigeria. Anin-depth description of these services and the benefits ODL students can derive from accessingthem is presented. In addition, the authors adapted a conceptual model to accentuate theexpected output of professional counselling services. The purpose of this model is to present aclear explanation of the fact that adequate provision of professional counselling services will leadto the improved school, workplace and family environment. It is expected that this will lead to goodbehaviour and improved academic performance, invariably creating a safe school, out of schooland workplace environment for ODL students. Recommendations include the creation ofawareness programmes through online seminars and workshops to educate ODL students onvarious ways to access guidance and counselling services.