Edutech Global will build the digital infrastructure powering the University of Abuja’s transition to a virtual campus, as the federal institution seeks to increase its distance learning enrollment from about 4,000 students to about 30,000 over the coming years.
The long-term partnership underscores a growing shift in Nigeria’s higher education sector, where universities are increasingly investing in digital campuses to meet surging demand for university education.
Read also: Afolabi seeks alliance to revive Nigeria’s technical education
Under the agreement, Edutech Global will provide the technology backbone for the University’s Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programme, deploying a learning management system (LMS), student information system, admissions platform, virtual classrooms, online examination and remote proctoring tools, content digitisation services and 24-hour student support.
The project effectively creates a digital campus that allows students to apply, attend lectures, interact with lecturers, complete coursework and sit examinations remotely from anywhere in Nigeria and beyond.
“Edutech provides the technology, the infrastructure, content conversion services, virtual learning solutions, student acquisition services and 24-hour student support,” said Bunmi Akinyemiju, chief executive officer of Venture Garden Group, the parent company of Edutech Global.
He said the University of Abuja would continue to own its curriculum, academic programmes and lecturers, while Edutech supplies the technology needed to scale education far beyond the limits of physical classrooms.
“What Edutech comes to do is amplify the impact of the professor. A lecturer who may ordinarily reach about 500 students annually can now reach about 5,000 students through technology,” Akinyemiju said.
He added that the company typically signs 10-year partnerships with universities and is also working with financial institutions to explore student financing options that could improve access to higher education.
For the University of Abuja, the partnership marks a strategic shift from expanding through bricks and mortar to growing through digital infrastructure.
Uche Anaduaka, director of the Centre for Distance Learning and Continuing Education, said the university sought a technology partner because it lacked the infrastructure required to build a modern digital learning ecosystem.
“Our Vice Chancellor, Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, wanted the centre to become what a true distance learning centre should be. That gave us the push to look for a company that could support us because the university did not have the infrastructure required,” she said.
The digital campus will introduce online course delivery, flexible learning, virtual classrooms and remote examinations using AI-enabled proctoring technology, allowing students to complete degree programmes without frequent visits to campus.
“We are going to have a learning management system and proctoring tools so students can sit in their homes and write examinations. Students can learn at their own pace wherever they are,” Anaduaka said.
The university currently has about 4,000 students enrolled in its distance learning programmes but expects that figure to rise to 10,000, then 20,000 and eventually about 30,000 as the platform matures.
“We are extending our reach beyond our physical campus,” she said.
The initiative comes as Nigerian universities face mounting pressure to accommodate millions of qualified applicants despite limited lecture halls, hostels and teaching facilities. Rather than investing solely in new buildings, institutions are increasingly embracing digital learning platforms that can scale education at lower cost while reaching students across the country.
Olufemi Shonubi, co-founder and chief technology officer of Edutech Global, said technology offers the fastest route to expanding university capacity.
“The physical infrastructure available today is not enough to meet demand. Technology enables institutions to teach and learn at scale,” he said.
He cited the company’s partnership with Ahmadu Bello University’s Distance Learning Centre, which serves more than 50,000 online learners, as evidence that digital campuses can significantly expand access to higher education without corresponding investment in physical infrastructure.
To address internet connectivity challenges, Shonubi said Edutech has adopted an “offline-first” model that allows students to download learning materials and study without continuous internet access.
“Students mainly require internet for live classes, assessments and discussions. Most learning content is already available offline, significantly reducing data requirements,” he said.
Moyosore Asubiojo, general manager of Edutech Global, said the company’s proprietary education technology ecosystem integrates admissions, student records and learning into a single platform.
Read also: Education key to closing Nigeria’s digital skills gap, meeting industry needs – Aptech
The system begins with Enrolee, the admissions portal, before moving students into the Student Information System and finally into Edify, the company’s proprietary learning management system where lectures, assignments and interactions with lecturers take place.
“These are proprietary technologies that we built ourselves. They are not open-source platforms,” Asubiojo said.
As demand for tertiary education continues to outstrip the capacity of Nigeria’s universities, the University of Abuja’s partnership with Edutech Global highlights how digital campuses are emerging as a practical alternative to physical expansion. The strategy positions technology, not new lecture theatres or hostels, as the institution’s primary engine for future growth and wider access to higher education.
Get Newsletter Updates
Enjoying our column?
Subscribe to our specialised **Tech Pulse** feed to receive fresh reports and analyses directly in your inbox.
