History of the Programme/Sub-discipline

The Department of Adult Education, University of Ife, Ile-Ife, (now Obafemi Awolowo University) was established in 1968 following the recommendation of a University Committee headed by Professor R.C. Clark.

The Department came into operation with the following general objectives:

1.       To extend the resources of the University of Ife to those who cannot pursue or who have already completed regular degree programmes offered on the Campus.

2.       To engage in research concerning the problem associated with adult learning, effective teaching and the development of adult education programmes at both the University and local levels.

3.       To interpret and relate in meaningful and useful ways, the technical knowledge, skills and findings or research to help people solve their problems.

4.       To help develop and inform leadership in all phases at social, economic, religious, aesthetic and political aspects of a democratic society through cooperating with agencies of government, business, industry, labour groups and so on, who have In-service programmes.

5.       To stimulate and foster the development of teaching materials, experimental programmes and professional staff resources for training activities by various agencies.

6.       To keep the staff of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) informed of the educational needs and interest of the people of Nigeria and especially the Western State.

To achieve some of these objectives the Department started off during the 1968/69 Session with the following programmes and activities:

i.             Organization of extra-mural classes in Ile-Ife, (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) and some parts of the Western State of Nigeria.

ii.            Organization of Public lectures, symposia and conferences.

iii.           Exploration of possible areas of collaboration with other departments of the University, Secondary Schools and other external agencies.

iv.          Aiding the Ife Women’s group in some of their community development projects.

These activities and programmes continued till 1973 when members of the Department started to realize that these programmes and activities were not adequate to achieve the general objectives in the areas of research, dissemination of research knowledge, development of leadership potentials and fostering of training and teaching resources in adult education.

More basically, strategies for the implantation of goals were not carefully developed and not fully understood.  As a result, staff, materials and financial support for the Department, were inadequate to cope with the job.