POLITICS OF DIGITALIZATION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM: NIGERIA HIGHER EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Over the years, various governments in Nigeria, at one time or the other initiated policies and programmes towards achieving the goals of education. More often than not, the politics behind the policy initiations is usually contentious as the stakeholders of education are not duly carried along. The ruling political class influences (rightly or wrongly) education system based on their ideologies. Education being the backbone of every nation, especially a developing nation like Nigeria cannot be left to be tossed around by political whims; let alone this era of information age as challenged by digitalization for global competitiveness. Being in a changing society, educational managers/planners are challenged to key in the present technology of digitalization for free flow of information and dissemination of knowledge, particularly at higher education system with the mandate of grooming knowledge economy. Information communication technology (ICT) is a non-negotiable tool for effective education management delivery in this 21st century. Thus, education is now a major political issue where undue interference ushers in challenges of time constraints, premature change, management implications of struggle and stress at the implementation stage, among others.