Following the lockdown of all institutions of higher learning in Nigeria, occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing efforts in deploying Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools to facilitate online teaching and learning process have become imperative. Owing to the global pandemic, the Management of Federal University Lokoja was not left out in these current and urgent measures geared towards engaging students and keeping them busy during the lockdown.

As a result, the University Management after series of consultations with relevant stakeholders in the University invited some ICT professionals within and outside the University to make presentations on their proposed e-Learning solutions/software that will guide the Management in chatting the way forward. The presentations which took place on Friday, 5th June, 2020 at the ICT Center, Adankolo Campus and coordinated by Ezra Shiloba Gbaje (PhD), the University Librarian and Chairman, University ICT Committee, afforded various stakeholders including the University Management, Senior Academic Staff, Lecturers and Representatives of the Students Union the opportunity to ask pertinent questions and make useful suggestions.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Angela Freeman Miri who led other members of the University Management to the important interaction made valuable contributions and urged all hands to be on deck to ensure its success. She equally commended all stakeholders for working assiduously towards the realization of the goal.

Staff of the Directorate of ICT in the University made brilliant presentation on Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (MOODLE), which is the world’s most popular virtual Learning Management System (LMS) proposed for the University. Interestingly, the MOODLE proved to be more effective, efficient and user friendly, as it addressed most of the concerns raised by some of the participants during the meeting.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Director of Academic Planning, Professor Makanjuola Osagbemi, who was saddled with the responsibility of engaging all stakeholders to come up with an effective and acceptable online teaching/learning platform, has been working round the clock to ensure that the aim was achieved as well as speedy implementation and training of all relevant stakeholders.

Sequel to the adoption of the E-Learning system, a training workshop on MOODLE was organized on Wednesday, 24th June, 2020 at the University Auditorium where teaching staff and students including the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Angela Freeman Miri and other Professors gathered with their laptops, tablets, phones and course materials and with keen interest, to receive hands-on training on the new system. It was an exciting moment for the participants as the ICT/MIS Team led the training which should continue in order to ensure that all stakeholders were carried along.

Below are some of the pictures taken during the presentations and training of staff.