FG Supports Full Deployment Of Blackboard Digital Learning Platform, Targets 3 Million Students

The Federal Government has stated that the full deployment of the Blackboard digital learning platform in Nigerian tertiary institutions would go a long way to fast-track educational development of the country.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, made this known on Thursday while receiving a delegation of Anthology Executives from the United States, in Abuja.

Mamman said the Blackboard platform being championed by Anthology would ensure easy access to online academic resources and address limitations of physical capacity of learning and the inability to access credible learning materials.

The minister, who stated that he was a firm believer of technology, pledged to provide necessary support through relevant policies that would facilitate the progress of the Blackboard project in the country.

“We are at the beginning of major reform in the education sector from the basic levels to tertiary levels. We know that physical capacity is a limiting factor but through IT, you can reach practically everybody and we are determined to do it,” he said.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, who led the Anthology Executives to the minister after an earlier visit to his office by the team, explained that the Blackboard platform would see to the establishment of Centre of Excellence in Nigeria that would be a benchmark for online learning methodologies.

He added that the platform will also help the country to be at the forefront of learning management system saying that it would no doubt get the education sector prepare for any eventualities unlike what happened to the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that the Blackboard would enroll about 2.2 million student users in Nigeria across the 253 beneficiary institutions of the Fund.

Echono revealed that plans are also underway to enrol other private institutions to the Blackboard platform, saying the move would increase the target to 3 million students.

Speaking on the importance of Blackboard, Echono said : “It is a platform that handles everything even from management of the institutions to the process of seeking admission-when you get enrolled to how you finish.

“Also the Blackboard is able to provide content for all the institutions and the real-time engagement that the institutional ecosystem operates.

“It also gives us the opportunity to be able to benchmark what is happening in other institutions around the globe that are all using the same platforms.

“Blackboard will establish a centre of excellence in Nigeria that will be a benchmark on online learning methodologies and this will really help to be in the forefront of the learning management system so that what happened during COVID will not catch us unawares again.”

Meanwhile, the President of Anthology, Joe Belenardo, said the Blackboard had been tested to provide solutions to students and directors of ICT around the world through skills.

Belenardo explained that the Blackboard, a learning management system currently has about 6,000 clients and 150 million students globally and is designed to create additional solutions/innovations, access to network and give business development opportunities for learners.

Also, the Country Director and Channel Partner for Anthology Nigeria, Mr Ladipo Adedeji explained that the system allowed students to function adequately both online and onsite.

“It’s not just about online learning, the learning management system allows you to function in schools whether it’s online or offline.

“As you will find out, nobody carries lecture notes anymore, nobody submits physical assignments anymore, so this allows lecturers to teach more efficiently, allows students learn efficiently in a sensitive way.”