The Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Uduma Oji Uduma, has called on Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institutions to strengthen their quality assurance systems in response to emerging challenges and rapid transformations in higher education.
Professor Uduma made the call at the opening of a two-day regional workshop on Quality Assurance Mechanisms for Emerging Issues in Open and Distance Learning Programmes in West Africa, organised by the National Open University of Nigeria's Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (NOUN-RETRIDOL) in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL).
The workshop, held at the NOUN Headquarters in Abuja from August 19 to 20, 2026, brought together university administrators, quality assurance experts, researchers, ODL practitioners, regulatory agencies and other education stakeholders from across West Africa.
The forum provided an opportunity for participants to share knowledge, exchange experiences and discuss emerging issues affecting quality assurance in open and distance learning.
Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Usman Shehu Adamu, the Vice-Chancellor said quality assurance remained fundamental to the credibility, effectiveness and sustainability of ODL systems.
He observed that higher education across the world was undergoing profound transformation, driven by advances in artificial intelligence, digital learning technologies, Open Educational Resources, micro-credentials and data-driven learning systems.
According to him, while these innovations were expanding access to learning opportunities, they were also presenting new challenges that required institutions to review and strengthen their quality assurance mechanisms.
“The challenges confronting ODL institutions today are not limited to a single institution or country. They are regional and global in scope. As institutions committed to widening access to education, we have a collective responsibility to ensure that innovation is accompanied by quality, accountability and continuous improvement,” he said.
Professor Uduma stressed that the credibility of qualifications awarded by ODL institutions, stakeholder confidence and the success of learners depended largely on the existence of robust, evidence-based and fit-for-purpose quality assurance systems.
He described the workshop as a timely platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas, share experiences and explore practical approaches to strengthening institutional quality assurance frameworks across the region.
The Vice-Chancellor urged participants to engage actively in the discussions and identify innovative solutions capable of improving quality assurance practices and learning outcomes within their institutions.
He expressed appreciation to the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) for its enduring partnership and commitment to advancing open, distance and technology-enabled learning across developing countries.
According to him, COL's support for innovation, capacity development, knowledge sharing and evidence-based quality assurance had continued to make significant contributions to the growth and advancement of ODL globally.
Professor Uduma also commended RETRIDOL for its sustained leadership in research, capacity building and professional development in the field of open and distance learning.
Expressing confidence in the outcome of the workshop, he said the deliberations would generate practical recommendations capable of strengthening institutional quality assurance systems and improving the quality of ODL programmes across the region.
He further called for greater collaboration among stakeholders to build resilient ODL systems capable of responding effectively to emerging challenges while expanding access to quality education for present and future generations.
In her remarks, the Adviser, Higher Education at the Commonwealth of Learning, Professor Jane Agbu, who spoke virtually, said NOUN-RETRIDOL played an important role in bringing together institutions, regulators, policymakers, practitioners and researchers across West Africa to reflect on shared challenges, exchange experiences and develop solutions relevant to the realities of the region.
She described the workshop as a strong reflection of that objective, expressing delight at the level of participation from across West Africa.
According to Agbu, meaningful regional solutions are most effective when they are informed by diverse perspectives, experiences and voices.
She disclosed that ahead of the workshop, a status study had been commissioned to review the prevailing discourse across the region and provide a clearer picture of how quality assurance systems were responding to emerging issues in open and distance learning.
She said the workshop would provide participants with an opportunity to critically examine the findings, compare experiences across countries and institutions, and consider their implications for collective action.
Agbu noted that the ODL landscape was changing at a remarkable pace, with artificial intelligence reshaping teaching, learning and assessment, while micro-credentials were challenging long-established ideas about qualifications, recognition and educational pathways.
She added that Open Educational Resources were widening access to knowledge and enabling new forms of collaboration, while cross-border education was extending the reach of institutions beyond national boundaries.
“If open and distance learning is to realise its full promise for West Africa, learners, governments, employers and institutions must trust it. And trust is built on quality,” she said.
The COL adviser expressed appreciation to participants who had travelled from far and near and committed their time, expertise and experience to the regional initiative.
She expressed the hope that the workshop would move beyond identifying challenges to developing practical, sustainable and regionally grounded responses that would strengthen confidence in open and distance learning across West Africa.
Earlier, in her welcome address, the Director of the Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDOL), Professor Doris Ofoha, described the workshop as a timely intervention aimed at strengthening quality assurance systems in response to emerging developments in open and distance learning.
Ofoha noted that RETRIDOL, established in 2003 through a partnership between NOUN and the Commonwealth of Learning, had continued to advance open and distance learning through capacity building, research and regional collaboration across West Africa.
She said the education landscape was undergoing rapid transformation, driven by the integration of artificial intelligence into teaching and learning, the growing adoption of Open Educational Resources, learning analytics, micro-credentials and other innovative approaches that were reshaping quality assurance practices.
These developments, she said, required institutions to continually review their quality assurance frameworks to ensure that they remained responsive to contemporary realities and the evolving demands of ODL provision.
The RETRIDOL Director explained that the workshop was designed to provide a platform for meaningful dialogue, collaborative problem-solving and practical engagement among stakeholders, with a view to developing actionable frameworks and policy recommendations for strengthening quality assurance mechanisms across the region.
She added that participants were drawn from several West African countries and included senior academics, institutional leaders, quality assurance practitioners, policymakers, administrators and experts in open and distance learning.
Ofoha expressed appreciation to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Uduma Oji Uduma, for supporting the participation of university staff in the workshop and commended the Commonwealth of Learning for its continued partnership and commitment to RETRIDOL's capacity-building initiatives.
The two-day workshop featured sessions on trends and quality assurance practices, as well as key considerations for quality ODL.
One of the sessions was facilitated by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Technology, Innovation and Research at NOUN, Professor Christine Ofulue, while a plenary synthesis on recommendations was facilitated by Professor Francis Egbokhare, among others.
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