RSITIE VE S C NI O U M NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION L M A I S N S O I I O T N A N T H C E OU VI GHT AND SER MONDAY www.nuc.edu.ng A PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY th 0795-3089 18 September, 2017 Vol. 12 No. 38 Stakeholders Review, Endorse OER National Policy he National Universities Commission (NUC) last TTu e s d a y h o s t e d a symposium for Stakeholders to review and endorse the draft National Policy on Open Education Resources (OER) for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Nigeria. The Symposium was convened to a g g r e g a t e i n p u t s a n d b y implication, obtain the collective ownership of a draft document from relevant agencies, strategic partners and the user-community. Declaring the Summit open, the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Anwukah represented by the Director, Education Support Prof. Anthony G. Anwukah Services, Mrs.Justina Ibe Honourable Minister of State for Education challenged the stakeholders to experienced men and women in the course for sustainable educational come up with beneficial, cutting- Steering Committee who had development using OER as an edge inputs which will add value to distinguished themselves in instrument. the National Policy. He expressed various positions would chart a The Honourable Minister of State confidence that the calibre of in this edition Pg. 6 Pg. 8 NUC Scribe Receives Australian Presidency of Turks Abroad Visits NUC Trade Delegation EDITORIAL BOARD: Ibrahim Usman Yakasai (Chairman), Mal. Haruna Lawal Ajo (Editor), Okoronkwo Ogbonnaya, Musa Bukhari, Minasigha BlueJack, Sadiq Abubakar Enquiries: [email protected] 18th September, 2017 Vol. 12 No. 38 L-R: Chair in OER/COL Consultant, Dr. Jane-Francis Agbu; Former ES NUC, Prof. Peter Okebukola; Executive Secretary, NUC, Prof. Abubakar A. Rasheed; Deputy Execuitve Secretary, Administration, Mal. Ibrahim Iro Dan’Iya and Director, Directorate of the Executive Secretary’s Office, NUC, Member/Secretary, NSC OER, Mr. Chris Maiyaki said besides providing a Open Educational Resources framework for Nigeria to ( O E R ) a p p e r t a i n s t o a n y This draft National Policy on Open showcase its position at the 2nd educational resources (including education Resources (OER) is the World Congress of OER slated for curriculum maps, course materials, first in the history of higher Slovenia later in the year, it would textbooks, streaming videos, education in Nigeria aimed at help to reposition the sector and multimedia applications, podcasts, addressing the dearth of learning give the country the much desired and other materials designed for materials in quantity, quality and visibility. This, he added, would use in teaching and learning) that currency. also ensure that the OER project in are openly available for use by Nigeria commences on a proper educators and students, without While expressing the hope that the footing to guarantee sustainability. accompanying need to pay exercise would be a success story royalties or licence fees. for generations yet unborn, L-R: Representative of the Hon. Minister of state for Education, Mrs. Justina Ibe; Mal. Dan’Iya; NAL President, Prof. Olu Obafemi; CVC Secretary-General, Prof. Michael Faborode; French Embassy, Department of Int’l Corporation, Sarenne Comel; Representative of NBTE, Engr. Usman Danjuma and British Council representative, Sephora Imomoh Page 2 MONDAY BULLETIN A Publication of The Office of The Executive Secretary 18th September, 2017 Vol. 12 No. 38 the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and UNESCO, with financial support from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, in June 2012, organised the First World OER Congress at the UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France. At the Congress a ten-point declaration and recommendation, also known as the OER Paris Declaration, was adopted requiring States to realise the benefits of open education. Among the recommendations were the NUC Director of Open and Distance Education (DODE), Dr. Esther Olamide Adesina with need to: Foster awareness and use Director of Scholarship Board, FME, Mrs. Fatima Jiddun Ahmed during the OER meeting of OER;Facilitate enabling e n v i r o n m e n t s f o r u s e o f Professor Anwukah recalled that educational paradigm, the Hon. Information and Communications the OER movement gained Minister of State explained that the Technologies (ICT);Reinforce the considerable visibility in 2001, United Nations Educational, development of strategies and when Charles Vest, the then S c i e n t i f i c a n d C u l t u r a l policies on OER; and Encourage President of the Massachusetts Organization (UNESCO) in July, the development and adaptation of Institute of Technology (MIT), 2002, at a meeting on The Impact of OER in a variety of languages and announced the Institute's intention Open Courseware for Higher cultural contexts; as well as to put all of its course materials E d u c a t i o n i n D e v e l o p i n g Encourage the open licensing of online for the benefit of all. Countries, coined the term OER, educational materials produced According to him, this decision replacing the name Open Course with public funds; among others. resulted in the Open Course Ware Ware (OCW). He recounted that (OCW) Project, which four years later included over a thousand courses. With the MIT's initiative, Open Content Consortia were formed by HEIs across the world. In response to MIT's OCW, the focus shifted for the HEIs to either widen access to MIT's materials as evidenced in the China Open Resources for Education, or develop National Open Content Projects as in the case of Japan's OCW Alliance, he noted. Following its commitment to curb t h e c o m m o d i f i c a t i o n o f knowledge and provide an a l t e r n a t i v e o r e n h a n c e d L-R: VC, Fed. Uni. Lokoja, Prof. Angela Freeman-Miri, Prof. Rasheed, VC, Jigawa State Uni, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu; VC, BUK, Prof. Yahuza Bello and VC, Fed. Uni, Dutse, Jigawa State, Prof. Fatima Batul at the OER meeting Page 3 MONDAY BULLETIN A Publication of The Office of The Executive Secretary 18th September, 2017 Vol. 12 No. 38 On some of the key deliverables at students in excess of the carrying the World Congress in Slovenia, The Executive Secretary recalled capacity of the higher institutions starting from 18th- 20th September, that the Inaugural Meeting of the have consequently remained a Committee took place on Monday 2017, with the theme, OER for st recurring decimal at the tertiary 21 August, 2017, at the NUC and Inclusion and Equitable Quality provided the Committee with a level. Education: From Commitment to platform to extensively brainstorm Action, the HMSE outlined that and strategise on how best to secure The OER policy for higher the Nigerian delegation should be the commitment and collective education in Nigeria, the NUC prepared to showcase Nigeria's ownership of the Nigerian Higher Scribe said, is an effort of the comprehensive National OER Education Sub-Sector to the OER Government, aimed at ensuring a Policy document; strategically initiative. He thanked members of planned and deliberate approach in the Steering Committee for a Project Nigeria on OER World the development and improvement painstaking exercise that had Map; and prove that Nigeria has produced the draft policy. of quality teaching and learning moved from commitment to materials, curricula, programmes, concrete action with regard to Professor Rasheed disclosed that and course design, as well as OER. The country, he further said, Nigeria currently has about 585 planning effective contact with must demonstrate its clear tertiary institutions (comprising of students. determination to join the rest of the Universities, Polytechnics, world in developing learning, Monotechnics, Colleges of He stated that OER has the teaching, and research potentials Education, Federal Colleges of potential of addressing the acute through OER as well as join the Agriculture, Colleges of Health shortage of learning resources in rest of the world in mainstreaming, Te c h n o l o g y a n d Vo c a t i o n quality, quantity and currency. He promoting, and sustaining the use Education Institutes) to serve a used the forum to urge stakeholders of OER. population of over 180 million. He and managers of the education observed that from the foregoing it sector at all levels to pursue While commending the National was clear that the challenge of excellence, quality assurance, good Steering Committee (NSC) on access to higher education in governance, resourcefulness, and OER, the Advisors, and the COL to be steadfast and resolute in appointed Consultant, for the Nigeria need all stakeholders to efforts made to take the zero Draft redouble their efforts to address moving the sector to greater Policy on OER to the next level, he same. According to him, issues like heights. reminded them that the country inadequate access to tertiary had reached the critical point education and enrolment of Goodwill messages were delivered where everyone must collectively take ownership of the OER initiative. In his welcome remarks, the Executive Secretary, NUC, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed mni, MFR, ably represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary, Alh. Ibrahim Iro Dan'Iya, commended the H o n o u r a b l e M i n i s t e r o f Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu for approving the immediate creation of the(NSC), with the core mandate of adopting and adapting OER in respective African countries.