OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING IN NIGERIA: POLICY PROVISION, IMPLEMENTATION AND SEARCH FOR THE MISSING LINK

The world in the new millennium has entered an era that is knowledge-driven. And this contributes to the social and economic development of a country. It is a common knowledge that Nigerian conventional university systems and other forms of formal higher education cannot accommodate all those seeking university admission in Nigerian. Hence the establishment of open and distance education. This paper therefore discussed open and distance learning in Nigerian: policy provision, implementation and search for the mission link. It starts with discussing the concept of open and distance learning, followed by x-ray of open and distance learning and policy provision. Next is discussion on the implementation gaps in open and distance learning. Thereafter, it discusses the strategies for filling the implementation gaps. Finally, the paper concludes and recommends that the lofty goals of open and distance education in Nigeria should be properly implemented to ensure lifelong opportunities for self-development and fulfillment.

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