Towards Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of Education in Nigeria using Open and Distance Learning

Abstract

The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) were unveiled in year 2000 and Nigeria as a member of the United Nations put the necessary modalities in place towards realizing the goals particularly with respect to quality and affordable education. However, towards the end of 2015, the set goals were not fully realized due to several problems necessitating the UN to come out with another set of goals; the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which also highlighted education as a vital goal to be realized in the year 2030. In this paper, we examine the pitfalls of MDGs with respect to education and suggest how Open and Distance Learning methods via Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can quickly assist vital stakeholders especially, the Nigerian Government in fully realizing the goal of quality and affordable education of SDG in Nigeria. Finally, we highlighted some cogent points that require us to change the image of tertiary education through open and distance learning approach for national development.