Covid-19 Pandemic, Ict and Education System in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities
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COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ICT AND EDUCATION SYSTEM IN AFRICA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Proceedings of the International Conference of the Association for the Promotion of African Studies on the Impact of Covid-19 on Africa and the Quest for Afrocentric Perspectives 17th September, 2020 Editors: Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu Chiugo C. Kanu Ejikemeuwa J. O. Ndubisi COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ICT AND EDUCATION SYSTEM IN AFRICA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Proceedings of the International Conference of the Association for the Promotion of African Studies on the Impact of Covid-19 on Africa and the Quest for Afrocentric Perspectives 17th September, 2020 First Published in 2021 A publication of The Association for the Promotion of African Studies COPYRIGHT © 2021 by The Association for the Promotion of African Studies All rights reserved: No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored retrieved or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photographic, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the Editor ISBN: 978-978-988-731-6 13245 Trebleclef Lane Silver Spring 20904, Maryland, United States of America Covid-19 Pandemic, Ict And Education Dedication System In Africa: Challenges And Opportunities DEDICATION To all Frontline workers-living and dead. Editors: Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu, Chiugo C. Kanu & Ejikemeuwa J. O. Ndubisi iv Covid-19 Pandemic, Ict And Education Table of Contents System In Africa: Challenges And Opportunities TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION - - - - - IV TABLE OF CONTENT - - - - V INTRODUCTION - - - - - VII Awareness and Perception of Educators in Enugu Zone on The Use Of Some ICT Platforms: WhatsApp, Facebook And Zoom In Dissemination Of Information On Covid-19 - - - 1 Covid-19 And Hand Washing: The Igbo Culture Perspective - - - 19 Covid-19 Crises and A Search for Afrocentric Leadership in Africa: Using Religious Values to Checkmate Human Rights Abuses - - - 33 Covid-19 Pandemic and The Ills of Nigeria’s Education System: A Historical Analysis - - 59 Dettol’s Hands-On Ad on Human Coronavirus: Between Fake News and Effective PR In Nigeria - 83 Education Beyond Covid-19: Challenges and Opportunities of Digital Learning in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria - - - 101 ICT Skills Required by Teachers for Effective Teaching of Basic Electronics to Students In Secondary Schools During And After Covid-19 Pandemic In Mainland LGA Of Lagos State - - 137 Editors: Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu, Chiugo C. Kanu & Ejikemeuwa J. O. Ndubisi v Covid-19 Pandemic, Ict And Education Table of Contents System In Africa: Challenges And Opportunities Impact of Covid-19 On Primary Education in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State - 153 Covid-19 Pandemic and the Infodemic Of Discordant Prophecies in Nigeria - - - 183 Management of the Dissemination of Information and Their Pragmatic Implications During the Covid-19 Pandemic - - - - 197 Modalities for Effective Administration of Secondary Schools in the Face of The Covid-19 Pandemic in Ondo State - - - - - - 225 Reinforcing Science and Technology in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET): Imperative for Effective Response Towards Covid-19 Crisis. - - - - 239 School Calendar and Electronic Learning in Nigeria: An Analysis - - - - 255 Covid-19 Pandemic: Challenges and The Way Forward in Nigeria Secondary Education - 267 An Assessment of Public Response to Media Campaigns on Covid-19 Preventive Measures in South East, Nigeria - - - 279 COVID-19, Violence and Social Inequality in Africa: A Call to Awaken African Moral Consciousness - - - - - 303 Editors: Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu, Chiugo C. Kanu & Ejikemeuwa J. O. Ndubisi vi Covid-19 Pandemic, Ict And Education Introduction System In Africa: Challenges And Opportunities INTRODUCTION Since December 2019, the Covid-19 virus has spread to nearly every continent in the world, and case numbers have continued to rise. There are authoritative reports from 211 countries and territories reporting several novel cases worldwide. Humanity will never forget December 2019 when the strange virus emerged. Since then, it threatens to become one of the most difficult tests faced by humanity in modern history, with a huge potentiality to take lives, overwhelm health systems, and trigger lasting geopolitical change. With these developments of ill-health, deaths and restrictions of movements to curtail the spread of the virus, the consequence on the economy of Africa and Nigeria in particular would obviously be disastrous. This piece would focus on how COVID-19 has affected the Nigerian economy. It would further make suggestions on the way forward towards boosting the Nigerian economy. The International Monetary Fund Report in 2020 observes that in the face of COVID-19 pandemic, the global economy faces its worst downturn since the Great Depression. Following the IMF, the Oxfam International in her 2020 report warned that half a billion people could be pushed into poverty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With particular reference to Africa, there are three major impacts that COVID-19 is already having. Each of the three impacts is very devastating. 1. COVID-19 has led to economic suffering in Africa, through loss of jobs and other incomes. 2. The situation is gradually dragging the African economy deeper and deeper into recession. 3. The financial and corporate sectors in Africa are beginning to suffer deterioration. It is in the face of these impacts that scholars of the Association of the Promotion of African Studies have undertaken to study the Covid-19 pandemic from an African perspective and the to draw out the economic and health challenges on the African people. This piece, is a major contribution to knowledge not only relevant for scholars but also policy makers and None Governmental Organization workers. Editors: Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu, Chiugo C. Kanu & Ejikemeuwa J. O. Ndubisi vii Covid-19 Pandemic, Ict And Education Awareness And Percetion Of Educators In Enugu Zone On The Use Of Some Ict Platforms: Whatsapp, Facebook And Zoom In System In Africa: Challenges And Dissemination Of Information On Covid-19 Opportunities AWARENESS AND PERCETION OF EDUCATORS IN ENUGU ZONE ON THE USE OF SOME ICT PLATFORMS: WHATSAPP, FACEBOOK AND ZOOM IN DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ON COVID-19 Eunice Nwakaego Onah, PhD University of Nigeria, Nsukka [email protected] & Pauline Ijeoma Obe, PhD University of Nigeria, Nsukka [email protected] & Agatha Nkechi Ozioko, PhD University of Nigeria, Nsukka [email protected] & Fidelis Ekene Enema, PhD University College Hospital, Ibadan [email protected] & Veronica C. Ude, PhD Godfrey Okoye niversity, Enugu [email protected] Abstract COVID-19 pandemic has grossly affected life in all ramifications. For education in Nigeria, it has been brought to a halt. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is the difference. While measures are being set in place to re-strategize and re-adapt, it is pertinent to examine the use of ICT in the management of COVIV-19 pandemic. Experts found that physical distancing, regular and adequate hand washing (with water and soap, or hand sanitizer), and correct use of face masks are notable preventive means for the control. Editors: Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu, Chiugo C. Kanu & Ejikemeuwa J. O. Ndubisi 1 Eunice Nwakaego Onah, PhD, Pauline Ijeoma Obe, PhD, Agatha Nkechi Ozioko, PhD, Fidelis Ekene Enema, PhD & Veronica C. Ude, PhD Dissemination of information has only been made possible via the use of ICT platforms. This study examined the Awareness and Perception of Educators in Enugu Zone on the Use of Some ICT Platforms in this regard. ICT Platform Questionnaire (QICTPLA) of ten (10) items, face validated by three experts and trial - tested in Nsukka Zone, was used as instrument for data collection. Its reliability was found to be 0.88 using Cronbach Alpha from SPSS version 20. Multistage sampling technique was used from the 294 Government schools in Enugu State. Percentages (%) from MS Excel were used in analysing collected data. Awareness for the use of WhatsApp and Facebook in dissemination of information was 100%, 99.95%. For the use of zoom, awareness was 65%. The Educators’ Perception on the use of WhatsApp, Facebook and zoom were respectively 89%, 72% and 49%. Challenges were poor electricity supply, high cost of data and poor ICT skills acquisition. Training of Principals was recommended so that fairly Physical school may resume soonest. Keywords: State Educators, ICT platforms, COVID-19. Introduction Life as we used to know it has in almost all ramifications, changed. The year 2020 would forever be remembered with the mantra – “stay at home, stay safe”. The COVID-19 pandemic grossly affected life as we used to know it; the way we live. The range is endless, from education to economy, agriculture, security, practice of religion etc. Broken into parts, ‘COVID-19’ stands for Corona Virus 2019, which represents the year it was first identified. COVID-19 is a Public Health Emergency of international concern. It is caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, also referred to as 2019-nCOV, a novel virus of the Corona family of viruses. It was traced to a seafood market in Wuhan, a small town in China. Editors: Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu, Chiugo C. Kanu & Ejikemeuwa J. O. Ndubisi 2 Covid-19 Pandemic, Ict And Education Awareness And Percetion Of Educators In Enugu Zone On The Use Of Some Ict Platforms: Whatsapp, Facebook And Zoom In System In Africa: Challenges And Dissemination Of Information On Covid-19 Opportunities Much is yet to be known about this novel disease. However, its effect has been felt wide over, globally. Initially, it was thought to be a primarily respiratory disease, but has been shown to be a multi- systemic disease, affecting virtually all systems in the body – respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal systems etc. For instance, cases of stroke have been reported in COVID-19, to mention but one. The World Health Organization (WHO) and its agency in different countries and regions of the world such as Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) have played significant roles in helping us understand and manage this novel disease.