E-Business
NOUN’s Fight Against Technology
The positive impact that technology has brought to our world and in all aspects of our lives cannot be overemphasised. It is a known fact that technology has come, to forever, ease up the way we communicate, produce goods in factories, travel, healthcare delivery, education, etc.
It is, therefore, disheartening to note that, in this age when technology is reigning supreme in all spheres of our lives, people in some organisations are still fighting against instituting technology to ease up the way they run their day to day affairs.
I have always made recommendations on how of technology can improve our daily lives and the economy generally, but most of these recommendations seems not to gel with the authorities concerned. I have, however, seen a few of those recommendations made in this column implemented, whether coincidentally or not.
I remember writing on the then dangerous and retrogressive plans by JAMB to remove the CBT from the examination plans of the Board for reasons best known to those who run the Board. Thankfully, that plan seems to have been jettisoned, even though, we are still making a mess of the whole process as evidenced in the last examinations that JAMB conducted. A lot still has to be done to perfect the process.
One place where technology is being fought and brought to attention, is the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). I have looked into this issue and based on my findings, the big question is; why would a university, in this day and time, fight technology? I just cannot understand why.
This is because, I am currently running a course at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, (MIT), which will eventually qualify me to practice as a Startup coach and everything is being done online. This is a similar scenario that should happen in relation to students at NOUN. I just completed the first step of the course, remotely online.
The question is; why would an institution like NOUN be reversing the gains of technology? Is the management’s decision based on the assumption that Nigerian students are not tech savvy enough?
The disturbing decision by the management of the National Open University of Nigeria to abruptly shut down its erstwhile comprehensive iLearn platform and replace it with multiple weaker platforms, for me, is a fight against technology. This singular action has rendered thousands of students devastated, distressed and dejected.
Besides the negative implications which the decision had brought forth, the present administration of NOUN does not see the future in technology, one of the greatest innovations that has transformed learning across the world.
As a matter of fact, the goal of Open and Distance Learning, which NOUN stands for, is to supplement admission to our regular tertiary institutions.
Many Nigerians who may have sought for admission into tertiary institutions without success have found NOUN as a reliable alternative to bagging their degrees in various disciplines. The entire process of enrolment, lecture, submission of assignments, class work, examination and other forms of support were simplified as a result of a technology-enabled platform, (iLearn). These are some of the reasons the majority of NOUN alumni were able to acquire their degrees while still working.
They enjoyed some high level of flexibility, which NOUN had provided for over the years, through robust ICT deployment.
Today, the situation is different. You cannot see that flexibility anymore because of the closure of a number of ICT menus that handled a number of activities seamlessly on the iLearn.
It is now a herculean task to get in touch with lecturers for assistance, submit classwork, pay tuition fees, send applications, carry out online clearance etc. which NOUN was known for. Infact the main portal www.nou.edu.ng has been under maintenance for months now and students are directed to multiple websites such as www.nouonline.net, www.nounonline.com and www.nouedu.net.
As someone who has been in the game for almost a decade, I can boldly conclude that using multiple platforms that can be easily combined into one is a huge waste of time and resources as well as a drain on everyone’s productivity.
There is an urgent need for the current administration of NOUN to have a rethink because, there is no justification whatsoever, to run an Open and Distant Learning institution with a weak technological base.
Do not take my word for it. Find a current student of NOUN and ask about the situation before when the iLearn was on and after with the new sets of platforms. I honestly cannot make any sense out of the decision and I repeat, this is a fight against the adoption of technology.
There are many adverse implications associated with this crisis, of which I will highlight only a few of them.
First, the knowledge gap. Let us look at the wealth of knowledge provided by technology, through the iLearn platform, which I seriously believe NOUN students had benefited from.
It is a common trend in Nigerian universities today to find students jettison buying textbooks, rather preferring to spend their money on other stuff.
With the iLearn platform, which NOUN, hitherto, had provided, students did have access to smartbooks and insightful materials to help them online.
Secondly, payment of tuition fees, receiving lectures, interactions between lecturers and students, clearance, etc., were done seamlessly online. I am sure that the students, staff and management of NOUN are now bearing the brunt as this has now been yanked off and replaced with multiple platforms.
According to a reliable source, NOUN had less than 60, 000 students at inception. With the creation of iLearn, enrolment shot up to over 150,000 students in two years, due to the publicity and ease of getting information about NOUN through iLearn.
Rather than frustrate students, NOUN management should work hard to increase the numbers to say one million students, using the right technology and yes, it is possible.
Apparently, with the yanking off of iLearn, NOUN will exponentially record a decrease in the number of applications, and this will mean a significant decline in the institutions’ revenue. The reason is simple. The confidence level and flexibility that attracted many students are no longer available.
Importantly, we need to start appreciating the roles and significance of technology. The management of NOUN should be exploring ways of improving the existing technology and block loopholes instead of taking decisions that ultimately hurt students.
Technology has simplified the entire process. Whatever reasons there were to impede this, the intention cannot be right, therefore, the status quo should be reverted to.
Even in the traditional tertiary institutions today, the management should have passion for technology rather than the rusty, manual ways of doing things. This is more so, for an Open and Distant Learning institution like NOUN.
Surprisingly, this issue has been on for sometime now and there seems to be no positive way of resolving it. Matters of such magnitude should be dealt with swiftly instead of waiting for a total collapse of the system.
I, hereby, request all well meaning Nigerians, to prevail on the NOUN management to revert to the status quo, powered by technology. Time is of essence because, NOUN students are already frustrated by the fight against the adoption of technology in the institution.
CFA is the Founder, www.CFAtech.ng & Co-producer/Presenter,Tech Trends on Channels Television
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has commenced a forensic investigation into the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lotus Bank and Hackerbella Ltd over alleged violations of data protection laws involving students’ personal information.
The investigation follows public complaints alleging that students’ personal data were used to open bank accounts without a lawful basis.
Dr Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner and chief executive officer of the NDPC, directed the investigation team to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the circumstances surrounding the collection, processing, use and disclosure of the affected students’ personal data.
The investigation will also determine the respective roles and responsibilities of UNILAG, Lotus Bank and Hackerbella in the alleged processing of the data.
According to the Commission, the investigation will assess the data protection compliance obligations of the parties under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act), as well as potential risks posed to the rights and freedoms of the affected data subjects.
The NDPC said the probe would cover several areas, including Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), the lawfulness and transparency of credit scoring or profiling activities, and the use of automated decision-making systems.
It will also examine the adequacy of privacy notices, data-sharing arrangements, lawful bases for processing, data minimisation and purpose limitation.
Other areas include data retention policies and the adequacy of technical and organisational measures put in place to safeguard the rights and personal data of affected students.
The Commission reiterated that institutions entrusted with the personal data of students, staff and other members of their communities have a heightened responsibility to ensure that such information is processed lawfully, fairly, transparently and securely.
The NDPC therefore warned educational institutions that are yet to comply with its existing data protection compliance directives to take immediate steps to achieve compliance.
The Commission said it would continue to exercise its regulatory mandate to protect the privacy rights of Nigerians and ensure that organisations processing personal data comply with the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
Microsoft is planning to unveil its new Maia 300 AI chip this fall, potentially as soon as next month, The Information reported on Monday, citing people with direct knowledge of the plans.
The company introduced its Maia AI chip in November 2023 but has lagged rivals such as Alphabet and Amazon in scaling up its in-house chip efforts as it seeks to reduce its reliance on Nvidia’s costly processors.
Google began recognizing revenue from direct sales of its custom AI chips, called Tensor Processing Units, in the quarter ended June, while Amazon has also seen growing adoption of its processors, including its Trainium chips.
Microsoft has been in talks with chipmaker TSMC to secure manufacturing capacity for more than 300,000 units of the chip for delivery in 2027, according to the report. It is also looking to significantly ramp up production and persuade major cloud customers such as Anthropic to adopt the chip.
Microsoft ultimately aims to secure capacity for more than 1 million Maia 300 chips, though component supplies and ongoing capacity negotiations with TSMC could constrain its plans, according to the report.
It unveiled its second-generation Maia 200 in January, built by TSMC using 3-nanometer technology.
Microsoft packed the chip with a significant amount of SRAM, a type of memory that can provide speed advantages for AI systems handling large numbers of user requests.
X has announced plans to discontinue its Revenue Sharing programme and introduce a new Original Content Rewards programme to reward creators for producing original content on the platform.
The social media company announced the changes at the weekend in a post on its X Creators handle, saying the new programme would reward creators who contribute original content.
“Today, we’re introducing the Original Content Rewards Program, a new way to reward creators who bring original ideas, expertise, reporting, creativity, and commentary to X,” the company said.
X said it would stop accepting new enrolments into the Revenue Sharing programme from Friday, while existing participants would continue earning until September 7, 2026.
“Starting today, we’re no longer accepting new enrollments into Revenue Sharing,” it said.
According to the company, existing Revenue Sharing participants will receive three final payouts, with two scheduled for August 14 and August 28, while the final payment for earnings accrued through September 7 is expected around September 11.
X said existing Revenue Sharing participants would begin getting access to apply for the new programme from September 8, subject to meeting its eligibility requirements.
The first payout under the Original Content Rewards programme will be made on August 28, 2026, while existing Revenue Sharing creators who enrol in the new programme from September 8 will receive their first payment on September 25.
Under the new programme, eligible creators will earn from qualified impressions generated by their original content, with payments made every two weeks.
X defined qualified impressions as unique impressions from Premium users on the Home Timeline feed, where at least 50 per cent of a post is visible.
On the other hand, “The following are excluded from qualified impressions: impressions from the same account counted more than once per post; paid, promoted, or artificially generated impressions; and fraudulent impressions,” it said.
To qualify, creators must be at least 18 years old, live in a country where the programme is available, maintain an account in good standing and have either a personal or vusiness account.
They must also subscribe to X Premium, Premium+ or Premium Business, have at least 500 verified followers and record at least 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users within the previous 90 days.
X said creators must also regularly post original content to remain eligible.
“We want to recognize creators who break news, share expertise, tell stories, create entertainment, and contribute meaningful perspectives to the conversation,” the company said.
The platform said original content could include threads, videos, memes, graphics, illustrations, reporting, analysis, commentary and reactions that add meaningful value to existing conversations.
It said creators who use content produced by others would need to add meaningful commentary, context, analysis, humour or creative transformation for such posts to qualify.
“Building on existing conversations is a core part of X, but simply reposting someone else’s content is not enough,” it said.
X said minor edits such as cropping, filters, borders, watermarks, speed adjustments or simple text overlays would generally not qualify as meaningful transformation on their own.
It also warned that content copied or substantially reproduced from another creator, content downloaded and re-uploaded from X or another platform without being the original author’s, automated content, disinformation and misleading content would be ineligible.
The company said accounts that violate the programme’s requirements could be temporarily or permanently removed from it, depending on the severity of the violation.
It added that creators would be responsible for ensuring they had the necessary rights, permissions or licences to use content created by others.
“Original content is content you personally create that reflects your own voice, perspective, expertise, or creativity,” X said.
The company said the new programme was intended to reward creators who make the platform more valuable by bringing original ideas and perspectives to its conversations.
“The Original Content Rewards Program is designed to reward the creators who start them, shape them, and move them forward,” it said.
NUPRC Warns of Counterfeit, AI-Generated Appointment Letters
KudiWave Asks for Clarification over N750m Transfer from PalmPay Account
NCC Reports over 5,000 Fibre Cuts in 6 Months
PalmPay Reinforces Commitment to Youth Empowerment on International Youth Day
ipNX Joins Calls for Innovation-Friendly Ecosystem and Stronger Local Opportunities at Regenesys AI Summit
EFCC Busts NIS Visa Overstay Racket, Uncovers N700m in an Account
Fact-Check: Elon Musk’s “Tesla Pi Phone” is Internet Rumor
NBC Tasks Broadcasting Stations over 2028 DSO Global Deadline
NBC Scraps Annual Digital Access Fee on DSO
Glo Sponsored African Voices to Feature Netflix’s “The Polygamist” Stars
E-Business2 days agoX Replaces Revenue Sharing wit New Creator Rewards Programme
Telecom2 days agoMTN Alerts Subscribers over Fake 25GB Anniversary MTN Data Giveaway
E-Financial2 days agoInterswitch, Temenos Commit to Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Banking Technology
E-Financial2 days agoFG Spent N3.1 Trillion on Domestic Debt Servicing in Q1- DMO
General News2 days agoFake Agency: ICPC Indicts NITDA, Others over Inadequate Due Diligence
General News2 days agoUNESCO Taps Oguamanam,Nigerian Scholar to Advisory Body on Science, Tech Ethics
General News2 days agoTax Reform Built on Taxing Prosperity, Not Poverty– Adedeji
Telecom1 day agoMTN Nigeria Clocks 25, Connects over 90m People