Education, a vital issue of the vision 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDG4), is germane to human development. The essence is to promote inclusive and equitable quality education that will promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; hence, it should be taken with all seriousness. Open education meets the needs and desires of people and further enhances creativity, sharing and collaborative activities. Open educational resources (OERs) play an important role in this regard. OERs are resources that are made available freely to all at low or no cost. However, the truth is that not every individual has access to education: the inclusiveness of open education in Nigeria is not total. Though educational resources are freely accessible on the internet, not every Nigerian has access; such as the physically challenged, rural dwellers and the financially less privileged. How are these materials available to the physically challenged? In Nigeria, the pandemic opened up several means by which people learn beyond the conventional means. Many educators (teachers and lecturers) used emerging technologies to teach and lecture during the COVID-19 pandemic via mobile technologies such as laptops and smartphones using virtual teaching- learning platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Moodle, Whatsapp, and Telegram among others. However, majority of the rural dwellers appeared to be left out. This is not fulfilling the objectives of open and equitable education.
This paper will write on the "equity in inclusiveness and accessibility of open education in Nigeria" through open with care: examinations of equity in open education under the general theme "Rise to Action". It will also discuss accessibility to open educational resources and the challenges facing open education in Nigeria.
By attending this session, attendees will be able to:- The inclusiveness of open education in Nigeria
- The problems facing the physically challenged
- The importance of one education accessibility
- How to reach the less privileged ones with open education resources
