Last Updated on November 15, 2026 by Olasunkanmi Olajide
By Raymond Osemene
The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has intensified efforts to strengthen digital education delivery through a capacity-building programme aimed at equipping Academic staff with the skills required to develop and deploy interactive lecture materials using the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS).
The One-Day Training, held today, November 11, 2026, at the Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment (CEADESE) Conference Room, was designed to enhance Lecturers’ capacity for Open and Distance Learning (ODL), blended learning and technology-driven academic instruction.
Declaring the programme open, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Olusegun Idowu, reaffirmed the University’s commitment to expanding access to quality education, urging Academic staff to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging digital technologies to improve teaching, research and learning.
Prof. Kehinde described the establishment of ODL as a strategic initiative to widen access to university education and provide flexible learning opportunities for prospective students, irrespective of their geographical locations and individual circumstances. He noted that achieving the global aspiration of inclusive education by 2030 required universities to adopt innovative learning models that respond to the changing needs of learners.
He identified the provision of a dedicated computer laboratory with at least 50 functional workstations as one of the critical requirements for obtaining the necessary ODL licence, stressing that the facility must be exclusively reserved for ODL activities.
The Vice-Chancellor also emphasised the importance of adequate funding in sustaining quality education, upgrading infrastructure and maintaining institutional competitiveness. He urged members of the University Community to sustain FUNAAB’s standing as the seventh-best university globally and the leading university of agriculture in Africa through continuous improvements in teaching, research and the learning environment.
On the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence, Prof. Kehinde described AI as an indispensable technology transforming education, research, banking, programming, robotics and other professional fields. He encouraged lecturers to explore its potential for enhancing academic delivery, while cautioning against indiscriminate use, which could compromise academic integrity and generate misleading information, particularly where users lack the knowledge to construct appropriate prompts and critically assess AI-generated content.
Earlier in his Welcome Address, the Director of the Directorate of Academic Information Systems (DACIS), Prof. Olusegun Folorunso, observed that the rapid advancement of digital technologies was reshaping teaching and learning in higher education, making it imperative for universities to strengthen their capacity to adopt innovative approaches to academic delivery.
He described Blackboard LMS as an effective platform for supporting ODL, blended learning and technology-enhanced classroom instruction, emphasising that its effective deployment went beyond uploading lecture notes to developing structured, interactive and engaging instructional materials.
According to him, such materials should incorporate clearly defined course objectives, learning outcomes, multimedia resources, assessment activities and opportunities for meaningful student engagement to promote effective and learner-centred instruction.
Prof. Folorunso explained that the training was designed to equip participants with practical digital tools and instructional techniques for making course content more accessible, interactive and engaging. He urged all academic staff to translate the knowledge and skills acquired into improved teaching practices and enhanced learning experiences for students.
He added that the success of the programme should not be measured by attendance alone, but by the extent to which participants applied the knowledge gained to transform teaching and learning across the University.
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