Her Excellency, Prof Sarah Anyang Agbor, Commissioner of Human Resources, Science and Technology with other educationists and scholars in Africa have congratulated the Vice Chancellor of  Chrisland University, Prof. Chinedum Peace Babalola, on her exemplary leadership ability used in achieving great feats for the institution and setting the pace in the use of online learning amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Prof. Babalola on Monday received the commendation at the 2021 Celebration of the International Day of Education organised by the Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology, African Union.

The Chrisland University VC calls on African governments to step up alliance and universal harmony to place education and lifetime learning at the focus of recovery; provide securities for students in terrorized places, and provide an enabling environment for digitalized learning.

Prof Chinedum made this call while delivering her speech at the 2021 Celebration of the International Day of Education organised by the African Union.

The celebration which was monitored live by CEOAFRICA  held virtually due to raging COVID-19 pandemic with the theme: “Recover and Revitalize Education for the COVID-19 Generation”, had the Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology, AU, in attendance, Her Excellency, Prof. Sarah Anyang Agbor; the Vice Chancellor of Chrisland University, Professor Babalola; Director of UNESCO AU Liason Office, Ms. Ana Elisa Santana-Afonso; Director of UNESCO-LICBA, Dr. Yimuka Yokozeki; Director of Human Resources, Science and Technology AUC, Dr. Mahama Ouedraogo, and other stakeholders.

 Prof.Babalola further highlighted several successes Chrisland University has made using the online learning platforms like Classera to avoid disruption of the school calendar amidst the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

Recall that the erudite professor was the winner of the 2020 edition of African Union Kwame Nkrumah awards for Scientific Excellence at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in recognition of her numerous outstanding scientific achievements and contribution through scientific research for the socio-economic development in Africa.

The AU Laureate explained that the COVID-19 pandemic was a blessing in disguise to Chrisland University and the pandemic has compelled the institution to shift from physical classrooms to online classroom.

She said “Looking at online classes and distant learning, they can be effectively utilized in our educational system. However, the greatest will lies in African governments to revitalize education in Africa.

“We, in Chrisland University, took advantage of the pandemic to start our online classes. Though we never knew there would be such pandemic, we had already started training our lecturers on virtual classes before the lockdown.”

She added that “Christland University was the first University to commence online classes in Nigeria. Seeing our interest and commitment in ensuring the virtual learning was effective, we were called by HP Group to introduce to us HP-classera. We are also the first University to operate on such new development.”

The first Female Professor of Pharmacology in Nigeria revealed that the HP-classera- a Learning Management System (LMS) - helped the learning institution to successfully complete a hitch-free semester and conducted examinations on it.

 The Chrisland University VC described the current youth as mobile generation because they are very good with the  new technology such as  Whatsapp, Twitter, Instagram and even Zoom, adding that nothing is strange to the students anymore as they also advertise their products, conduct a meeting and even become ‘queens’ on these platforms.

She said “lecturers need to be trained on the use of the e-learning facilities to help them know how to set online questions and give the students some problem-solving questions to make them creators and not consumers.”

In his remarks, Dr. Edward Addai, UNICEF representative to AU and ECA lamented on the situation of education in Africa.

He said, “Lots of students are coming out of schools without having requisite skill; some students cannot  read  and write. Many have dropped out of school due to the pandemic.”

He added that if action is not promptly taken to address these educational challenges, it will be more catastrophic.

Dr. Addai in his address stated that, education in Africa needs to be ‘re-imagined’.

 “To Recover and Revitalize Education for the COVID-19 Generation in Africa, we need to begin to imagine education in another mindset. It is time we saw classrooms in borderless classroom.

“It is possible to learn outside the classroom. Learning can take place outside the borders of classrooms,” he stated.

Professor Gabriel Magoma, Director of Pan African University of Science and Technology and Innovation (PAUSTI), also stated that “the pandemic caught us unawares. This has called us to shift from face-to- face teaching to online learning.”

He said his institution found out that the students have better performance from the virtual learning than the physical teaching.

He, thereby, advised a semester could be divided into two: E-learning and the physical, then exams should be conducted.

Magoma, also opined that a better ICT structure be developed to enable many students be on board at the same time.

Other stakeholders who also delivered their speeches spoke extensively on how those in rural communities could benefit from e-learning method of education, calling on the combined efforts of the African governments and private sectors to ensure both accessibility and affordability of e-learning facilities and competent teachers are made available in rural communities so that students in such communities can enjoy quality education and catch up with the new normal which is e-learning.

In her own remark, the Commissioner of Human Resources, Science and Technology, African Union, Her Excellency, Prof. Sarah Anyang Agbor, appealed to stakeholders to adopt e-learning method of education using Classera as a case study.

She said it is important for Africa to Recover and Revitalize Education for the COVID-19 Generation. 

 Prof Aghor, therefore, called on the African leaders and educational institutions to train more teachers on the use of technology to improve learning among students.

Policy makers across African continent are also called on to make a deliberate policy on the enhancement of digitising learning.

Her Excellency remarked, “If Africa must move forward, education must be on the front runner.”