Meanwhile, the global evolution of distance education has been faced with some skepticism and sometimes intolerable opposition. For instance, against the United Kingdom Open University there were many who were "extremely skeptical" (Al-Alawneh, 2013, p. 44). Such positions against distance education are usually not only about the concept of open learning and distance education, but also about the quality of any learning materials to be studied at a distance. In Nigeria, the operation of NOUN was discontinued due to a somewhat political instability. The critics of distance education, according to Beaudoin (1990) argue that rather than foster independence, critical thinking and self-directed learning, it encourages dependence due to imposition of high degree of structures rather than dialogue. On the contrary, Beaudoin argues that despite the high criticism against distance education, "the auto-didactic mode of learning is typically the most common means adults utilise for acquiring information"
(Beaudoin, 1990, p. 2). Decades of research have proven distance education to be a viable, feasible and cost-effective option for modern higher education both in quantitative and qualitative terms.
delivery. Then, centuries later, the postal service created an opportunity for a more systematic planned approach to open, flexible, and distance education to develop. From this, access to learning opportunities for a wider range of people began to open up.
In the light of the prehistoric activities mentioned above, it is also plausible to submit that people experienced distance learning in the indigenous education system of African society and Nigeria in particular. Ajadi et al (2008) traces the genesis of distance education in Nigeria to the colonial British education system which was by extension in Nigeria in the pre-independence period through correspondence education to prepare candidates for General Certificate in Education, a prerequisite for the London Matriculation Examination.
The history of distance education in Nigeria is as long as the history of higher education in the country. The University College Ibadan which later metamorphosed to the first indigenous university was a product of distance education system of the University of London. Omolewa (1998) notes that the college inherited the extramural programmes of the Oxford Delegacy for Extramural Studies which founded it in 1949. Omolewa and Adekambi (1994) have recognised organisation and coordination of distance education programmes as a distinct aspect of university initiatives in adult education in Nigeria. Hence, for instance, Adeola (1994) submits that the first department of Adult Education in Nigeria which was established at the University College Ibadan in 1949 was particularly involved in Extramural Studies. The first indigenous postcolonial effort towards a distance education programme was the English by Radio programme of Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation in 1960 (Ajadi et al, 2008). They also narrate that educational television programmes emerged with the coming of the then National Television of Nigeria (NTV). This was complemented with the running of the Schools Educational Broadcast of the Radio Nigeria stationed in Lagos and relayed all through the federation.
The first university to establish a distance education unit was the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in 1974. Osuji (2005) recognises the uniqueness of the emergence of distance
education in UNILAG with correspondence and open studies. The unit was named Correspondence and Open Studies Unit (COSU), which later changed to Correspondence and Open Studies Institute (COSI) and now known as Distance Learning Institute (DLI).
Perhaps the first significant national effort at providing open and distance learning means for the Nigerian populace through a dedicated distance teaching institution was the establishment of the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI). Though not part of the country's university system, NTI has since been very monumental in the evolution of distance education and very relevant in the development of teacher education in the Nigerian education system. Ajadi et al (2008) account that (NTI) took off as the first dedicated distance education institution in 1976 with the support of UNESCO. The institution was invariably dedicated to teacher education, started preparing Grade Two Teachers (TC II) and added the Nigerian certificate in Education (NCE) programme in 1990 in response to the policy that made the NCE the minimum teaching certificate in Nigeria. Also, since 2005, the Institute began to offer the Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme. The Institute was reported to have plans to start offering degree programmes in partnership with the University of Abuja (COL International, 2001).
This historical analysis reflects the high level to which the necessities of education sector have encouraged or even compelled distance education practices in Nigeria. In other words, the education sector/discipline has benefited more from the development. As COL International (2001) narrates, the demands for high number of teaching personnel in 1970s and 1980s to meet up with the policy of Universal Primary Education invariably made distance education continually gain international popularity as a viable strategy for delivering large-scale educational opportunity. This is what provoked the birth of the NTI, the premier federal distance education institution in Nigeria. Another potentially ground-breaking breakthrough in the development of distance education germinated in 1983 when the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) was founded in the seventh month of the year. COL International (2001)
records the initiative and establishment as a monumental event of the third republic administration led by President Shehu Shagari. Unfortunately, before the fruition of the scheme, it was scrapped/suspended by the successive military dispensation headed by General Muhammadu Buhari. The institution would not become functional until about two decades after.
Even though the emergence of distance learning in Nigeria dates back to the colonial time, (Jimoh, 2013) the evolution has been slow, especially in the sense of what we can call modern distance learning partly due to the suspension of NOUN for nearly two decades. Hence, at that period the country lost a huge opportunity of heightening the development of distance education in the 1980s. The increased growth of the compelling needs for distance education in the country in the following decades made the re-establishment of NOUN unavoidable at the beginning of the 21st century. By this time large economies such as India, England, the United States of America and many others had long been using open universities as viable options in educating their growing population. In Nigeria too, as Ajadi et al (2008, p. 2) observe, between the time the NOUN was suspended and the period it was resuscitated, conventional universities had "mushroom outreach study centres" which were clamped down on by the Federal Government. FME (2000, p. 110) describes the centres:
In effect, the mushrooming satellite campuses are characterised by poor training facilities and the exploitation of unsuspecting candidates eager to acquire higher degrees. Since their establishment is largely motivated to generate revenue, with very little interest and concern to provide qualitative education, the local facilitators recruit, both qualified and unqualified persons as lecturers; examinations are characterised by large scale examination malpractices and unsupervised works, with the result that the so-called graduates are half-baked in terms of imparted knowledge.
The Centre for External Studies of the University of Ibadan was started in 1988, through the Department of Adult Education. According to COL International (2001), it focused initially on upskilling teachers, guidance/counselling training and development of adult educators. This focus has, however, recently been expanded. The thrust of delivery in the programmes is
through printed materials and has centres to support students in registration, collection of materials, and tutorials. Meanwhile, it is pointed out that the University is particularly interested in the Centre’s ability to generate income, to provide education to working people, and to absorb students who cannot currently be accommodated in face-to-face programmes. Concerning the University of Jos (UNIJOS), like Obafemi Awolowo University, it is acclaimed to be one of the institutions that have the capacity for practicing modern distance education with respect to its computer facilities. UNIJOS, according to Agyeman (2007, p. 7) is "blazing the trail for content development and e-learning in addition to campus networking". COL International (2001, p. 26) describes the ICT phenomenon in UNIJOS as an example of innovation in distance education thus:
The introduction of computer networks at the University of Jos is changing the culture of teaching and learning at the institution, driven by a core of committed and professional computer staff. The purpose of these networks has been to augment teaching and research. All major buildings are connected via fibre-optic cables. All faculties have computer laboratories, accessible to staff and students alike, of between five and fifteen computers. These are used for teaching, e -mail, Internet access, typing, and other related computer functions. There is also a Computer Centre, which houses over 50 computers, for use by members of the University community. These facilities are very heavily used, with students able to book a computer for shifts of an hour at a time. Internet access at the University is provided via a VSAT dish. This offers a 256k down path, and a 64k return path, providing unusually quick Internet access by Nigerian standards.
At the beginning of the fourth republic, which coincided with the beginning of the 21st century, the federal government displayed some level of political will towards joining the moving economies in exploring the potentials of distance education. First, there were series of seminars and workshops and particularly the workshop themed: Towards Evolving a National Policy on Distance Education in Nigeria (COL International, 2001); the proceedings of which formed the provisions (Section 9) of the fourth edition of the National Policy on Education in 2004 and subsequent fifth and sixth edition in 2007 and 2013 respectively. Second, in 2002 there was the operational resuscitation of the National Open University of Nigeria which had been suspended about two decades earlier. After this, there were federal government's firm intention and strong,
growing institutional commitment to distance education. The perceived advantage that the Nigeria universities thought of about distance education was that distance education would offer opportunities to make wider educational impact and possibilities of greater financial gains. The COL International's (2001) report summarises the description of the distance education arena in Nigeria thus:
Despite enthusiasm for distance education in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, some uncertainties remain about the type, scope, and nature of distance education provision in Nigeria. The respective roles of Government, the NUC, and of individual universities remain unresolved. We feel that the success of any programme will, to a large extent, depend on how the various experiences of institutions are shared, modified, and integrated.