Students Commend E-DON, Call for Expansion to Universities, Polytechnics
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The National Association of University Students (NAUS), National Association of Nigerian Colleges of Education Students (NANCES), and National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) have commended the Electronic Education Initiative (E-DON) as one of the notable developments in Nigeria’s education sector in recent times.
The student umbrella bodies made the commendation at a joint world press conference held yesterday, where they addressed issues affecting students and the wider Nigerian tertiary education system.
Speaking on behalf of the Joint Union, the President of the National Association of University Students (NAUS), Dr. Meshach Anthony Nwankwo, described E-DON as an initiative capable of strengthening digital teaching, global education partnerships through virtual live interactive classrooms, as well as learning and improving the ability of Nigerian students and faculty to compete favourably with their counterparts globally.
The student leader particularly appreciated the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Dr. Angela Ajala, the Committee of Provosts and other stakeholders for supporting the implementation of the E-DON initiative across Colleges of Education in Nigeria.
Nwankwo called on the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Committee of Vice Chancellors to adopt the initiative across Nigerian universities, and similarly appealed to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Committee of Rectors to extend E-DON to polytechnics nationwide.
According to the student bodies, “Expanding the initiative across all categories of tertiary institutions would further strengthen Nigeria’s digital education ecosystem and expose more students to international linkages via live lectures with partner institutions across the world, as demonstrated in several Colleges of Education in our geopolitical zones. It has and will help expand and enhance modern technology-driven learning and teaching across higher institutions.”
They also proposed that the E-DON project be extended to at least one lecture hall per department in every tertiary institution in Nigeria, stressing that wider access would ensure that the benefits of digital and interactive education reach more students, thereby gradually eliminating analog learning methods while embracing digital technology in our schools.
The commendation places renewed attention on the work of the Electronic Education Initiative E-DON, which promotes the use of indigenous educational technology and interactive digital learning solutions in Nigerian institutions via 3D animation simulation software and QR interactive Smartboard.
The Joint Union also used the press conference to appeal to state governors to urgently address disputes involving COEASU, ASUU and ASUP in state-owned institutions, noting that prolonged strikes negatively affect students and the broader education system.
The students’ call for the expansion of E-DON came at a time when digital transformation is increasingly becoming central to the future of teaching and learning, reinforcing the need for Nigerian tertiary institutions to embrace indigenous educational technologies and provide students with learning environments that reflect global developments.