Open Educational Resources Policy for Higher Education in Nigeria

This report makes a case for open educational resources (OER) in Nigeria and presents a draft OER policy for higher education in Nigeria. In its simplest form, OER are any “educational resources (including curriculum maps, course materials, textbooks, streaming videos, multimedia applications, podcast, and any other materials that have been designed for use in teaching and learning) that are openly available for use by educators and students, without accompanying need to pay royalties or licence fees” (Butcher, 2011). This report comprises four sections. Section one focuses on the status of higher education in Nigeria, covering information on the education system in Nigeria and higher education; issues of access, cost and quality in higher education, as well as a few details on the National Universities Commission (NUC). Section two focuses on information and communication technology (ICT) in higher education institutions, covering the status of ICT in higher education institutions in Nigeria as well as national and international projects and initiatives in this area. With a focus on open educational resources (OER) in Nigeria, section three presents an overview of OER, including short explanations of copyright and open licensing. Some of the institutions using and promoting OER in Nigeria are also highlighted. In section four, the process of validation of the draft OER policy though a national steering committee and national consultation is described. The Appendix provides the validated National OER policy for Higher Education in Nigeria, as distributed by NUC at the 2nd World OER Congress.