Global Coronavirus Pandemic and the Improvised Online Lectures Perspectives in Select Universities in South-South, Nigeria

Abstract

In ensuring that the Nigerian educational system, especially tertiary education, was not completely shut-down due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Government of Nigeria on April 10, 2020 directed the authorities of the nation’s universities to commence online lectures. This study investigated the implementation of the online learning directive by universities in South-South, Nigeria. The aim of the study was to investigate perspectives in the implementation of the directive. Among others, the study asked the following questions: how did Nigerian university students perceive the directive on online lectures due to coronavirus restrictions in Nigeria? What were the dominant online teaching platforms adopted by Nigerian universities in the implementation of the online lectures directive? The study was anchored on the Technological Determinism and Diffusion of Innovations theories. The survey research design was used to study a population of 152, 595 from which a sample size of 384 respondents was drawn. Findings of the study showed that although Nigerian university students appreciated the online lectures initiative, the arrangement was challenged by lack of requisite technological gadgets by both lecturers and students and poor power supply in the country. The study recommended, among other things, that the Nigerian government and authorities of private tertiary institutions in the country should provide state-of-the-art facilities that support online learning in the digital economy. It was also recommended that the age-long problem of poor electricity supply in Nigeria should be aggressively approached and addressed by the Nigerian government.