Akanbi Advocates for Redesigning Nigeria's Education System

Professor Seyi Akanbi, the Chancellor of the American Open University, Global Campus, advocated for a fundamental redesign of Nigeria’s education system to align with the digital age during the Tribune Discourse organized by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Tribune Chapel in Ibadan. He stated that challenges such as electricity supply and internet connectivity should not impede the development of effective online education.

Akanbi stressed that Nigeria should not merely transfer traditional classroom models to online platforms but create learning systems suited to the local environment. He highlighted the American Open University's flexible and hybrid approach, which allows access to learning materials offline.

He called for a shift from conventional digital literacy to “productivity literacy,” aiming to equip Nigerians to use technology for creating solutions. Additionally, he advocated for Universal Design for Learning to enhance accessibility for students with disabilities and dismissed the notion that online university graduates are inferior, emphasizing that quality should be based on competence.