Quality Basic Education Development in Nigeria: Imperative for Use of ICT

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education has been continuously linked to higher efficiency, higher productivity, and higher educational outcomes, including quality of cognitive, creative and innovative thinking. In response to the global imperative of Education for All, and not willing to be left at lower side of ‘digital divide' Nigeria launched Universal Basic Education in 1999 and developed an ICT policy in 2001. One of the objectives of the policy focused on integrating ICT into the mainstream of education and training, including basic education. This has been evolving through a number of private and donor-funded initiatives though there is the need to ensure effective and sustained use of ICT in mainstream formal education system. This study explores Nigeria's ICT in education policies, implementation efforts, and availability of ICT tools in schools; teachers' knowledge, experience and practices in use of ICT at the basic education level; using qualitative analysis of existing documents and descriptive research design. The survey instrument is a self-designed and validated 50-item questionnaire administered to sampled basic education teachers in Lagos state. Findings showed that Nigeria is yet to fully commit to ICT integration in education as two key ingredients are lacking- skilled teachers and ICT tools and other infrastructures. It was recommended that these issues must be addressed within a focused and implementation committed ICT in education policy.