By Ochigbo Glory Ada, FUDMA
The Federal University Dutsin-Ma, FUDMA, has emerged as the only public university to fully adopt the new Learning Management System, LMS, introduced by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, despite a Federal Ministry of Education directive making the platform compulsory for all public tertiary institutions.
Deputy Director of Information and Communication Technology at FUDMA, Ahmad Jafar Waziri, disclosed this in an interview with FUDMA Weekly Bulletin. He said compliance across Nigeria’s public universities has been “almost non-existent” since TETFund rolled out the LMS.
“Only FUDMA has adopted the System,” Waziri said. “This is despite a Federal Ministry of Education directive mandating all public universities to utilize the platform.”
FUDMA, however, has not only embraced the LMS but enrolled all its students on it. Under the directive of Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mohammed Khalid Othman, the university mandated that all General Studies, GST, courses go virtual to test the platform’s capacity for large-scale learning. The courses are now conducted online, including tests and examinations.
Waziri said the System is “highly efficient and robust” and can “load a multitude of applications, especially in collaboration with Artificial Intelligence.” He added that in the coming academic year, “all Continuous Assessment-based courses will also be enrolled on the platform.”
According to him, the federal government’s push for virtual classrooms is primarily to “reduce overcrowding” in lecture theatres. He noted that educational technology makes online learning compulsory yet flexible. “Any student can revisit their class materials at any time. There is also provision for interaction and quorum — if technology can effectively manage that, then the system works.”
Reacting to the policy, FUDMA’s Director of General Studies, Professor Yahaya Ahmad Mohammed, described the federal government’s virtual learning policy as “a welcome development.” He said the initiative will ease academic stress, decongest classrooms, and give students 24/7 access to lecture notes and learning resources.
“The importance of virtual classes cannot be overstated,” Prof Mohammed said. His directorate, he added, “is already working hand-in-hand with ICT staff to ensure the success of the Edutech system.”
“Since the world is aware that FUDMA is the best ICT-driven institution in Nigeria, we have all the necessary facilities and gadgets to anchor this programme successfully,” Waziri stated.
With FUDMA emerging as the first public university to fully deploy the TETFund-mandated LMS, education stakeholders are now looking to the institution as a model for digital learning transformation.
The move aligns with global best practices in higher education, where technology is leveraged to enhance access, efficiency, and quality of learning.
“As other Universities struggle with infrastructure decay and overcrowding, FUDMA’s proactive stance offers a practical blueprint for the future of Nigerian tertiary education — powered by innovation, AI integration and virtual collaboration,” Waziri noted.