By Ahmed Rahma
Academic activities fully resumed at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) after several months of being away from the classrooms as a result of the strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
However, many students alleged that they could not have access to the website designed to allow virtual learning because it crashed ostensibly due to traffic to the platform.
UNILAG adopted online teaching due to the COVID-19 crisis in the country and the world.
As a result of the glitch witnessed today, some students of the institution took to social media platforms, especially Twitter, to voice their frustrations.
They blamed the management of UNILAG of not planning it through despite having 10 months to prepare for virtual learning especially when they knew the virus had change the way of life.
“If UNILAG that’s the nation’s pride failed to create a site that will make her students get the online lectures without hitches, then it will be difficult for other schools to do online lectures,” @Segzybi tweeted.
Another user of the app by the name Sucrose Papito said, “This same UNILAG plans to do Post-UTME online. Father Lord innocent Jambites as scapegoats.”
Business Post had earlier reported that the management of the institution has fixed Monday, January 25, 2021, for the resumption of classes.
According to a statement issued by the school’s Registrar, Mr Azeez Oladejo, academic activities for the completion of the first semester of 2019/2020 academic session for both undergraduate and post-graduate programmes was scheduled to begin today through the University Learning Management System (Lagonline).
The Registrar had said due to the second wave of COVID-19, all lectures, continuous assessments and examinations for the first semester would be held virtually as students cannot be accommodated on campus at this time for safety reasons.
Although today’s classes didn’t hold, some student still agreed that this is the safest option for them as the population of the institution will not encourage physical classes.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has shared some details of this year’s post-UTME examinations.
According to Mr Ogundipe, the university is getting set for a non-physical post-UTME test.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), he disclosed that the exams would be conducted from February 15 to 23, 2021.
The VC also noted that candidates would need tablets not just for the post-UTME test but also to facilitate other e-learning processes.
He disclosed that over 50,000 candidates applied for admission in the 2020/2021 academic session, out of which about 22,000 scored 200 marks and above.
According to him, 21,955 candidates have so far paid to write the post-UTME test.
Mr Ogundipe added that, “We looked at the issue of indigent candidates; we then decided to see how we can carry them along.
“Right now, we have started talking to some friends of the university and alumni to see how we can get tablets that we can give them.”
