The University of Abuja, now renamed Yakubu Gowon University, has set a short term enrolment target of 10,000 students for its Open and Distance Learning programmes following the signing of a partnership agreement with Edutech Global in Lagos on Friday.

The Director of the Centre for Distance Learning and Continuing Education, Prof Uche Anaduaka, said the institution currently had fewer than 4,000 students enrolled in its distance learning programmes because the previous model still required learners to attend campus for lectures and examinations.

"For now, we have fewer than 4,000 students because what we had was not a complete distance learning system. Students still had to come to the university for lectures and examinations. Now everything will be online as it should be. Our target is to grow gradually to 10,000 students, then 20,000 and even 30,000 as we continue to expand and attract learners from Nigeria and other parts of the world," she said.

Under the agreement, Edutech Global will provide the university with a learning management system, online examination platform, remote proctoring technology and virtual classroom infrastructure, enabling students to study and sit examinations from any location.

Anaduaka noted that the university currently runs five accredited Open and Distance Learning undergraduate programmes and six weekend part time programmes, with plans to introduce approximately 10 postgraduate programmes while expanding undergraduate offerings as additional programmes secured accreditation from the National Universities Commission.

The Chief Executive Officer of Venture Garden Group, parent company of Edutech Global, Bunmi Akinyemiju, said the partnership covered digital infrastructure, content digitisation, virtual learning platforms, student support services, marketing and learner recruitment under a long term arrangement.

"We typically sign 10 year agreements with most of our partners because transformation like this requires long term planning and investment," he said, adding that discussions with financial institutions over possible student loan arrangements were ongoing but at an early stage.

Co founder and Chief Technology Officer of Edutech Global, Olufemi Shonubi, cited the company's work with Ahmadu Bello University as evidence of the model's potential, noting that the institution's distance learning centre had grown to over 50,000 active learners online.

Shonubi also said the company had adopted an offline first learning model to reduce dependence on continuous internet access, with preloaded devices allowing students to study course content without connectivity, requiring internet only for assessments, discussions and live classes.