UNILAG VC Closes Gap as Prof. Folasade Ogunsola confirms equal standards and recognition for distance learning and full-time graduates

Speaking at the fourth international colloquium of the Distance Learning Institute (DLI), Ogunsola explained that the University of Lagos has streamlined admission processes and tightened quality assurance to ensure graduates across both streams receive the same certificates.

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“The stigma attached to DLI graduates is more perception than fact,” she said. “We’ve continuously tightened the quality of the work here to make sure distance learning students undergo the same rigorous screening as full-time students. Admission is no longer open to just anybody – garbage in, garbage out.”

She further disclosed that UNILAG plans to expand DLI enrollment from 12,000 to 50,000 students in the coming years, although challenges such as technology gaps and poor internet access in rural areas remain significant barriers.

“To reach rural areas is our biggest challenge, and it goes beyond what the university alone can do. Last-mile internet access is still a government responsibility. But we need to scale up because Nigeria’s population demands it,” she added.

DLI Director, Prof. Risikat Dauda, stressed that distance learning must be inclusive, serving not only the wealthy or urban students but also learners in underserved rural areas.

“Inclusion means asking whether the poorest child in Zamfara can benefit as much as a banker’s daughter in Ikoyi,” Dauda said, urging for personalised and adaptive teaching models that reflect Nigeria’s realities, such as limited bandwidth and unstable electricity.

International keynote speakers, including Dr. Nicole Lotz of the Open University (UK) and Prof. Chukunoye Ochonogor of Tshwane University of Technology (South Africa), called for collaborative curriculum design, digital literacy, and culturally responsive teaching.

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The colloquium, themed “Future-Proofing Open, Flexible and Distance Learning: Balancing Innovation, Inclusion and Sustainability,” also featured contributions from Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, Prof. Ganiyat Adesina-Uthman, Prof. Chrissi Nerantzi, and Prof. Oyesoji Aremu.