International Journal of Academic Research in Education and Review

Vol. 13(2), pp. 69-74, June 2025

ISSN: 2360-7866

https://doi.org/10.14662/ijarer2025088

 

Full Length Research

 

 

Zoom Applications: History and Use, Challenges & Recommendations for Nigerian Academics

 

Dr. Olubiyo Peter Olubunmi

 

University Library, Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo, Nigeria.

Corresponding author’s E-mail: olubiyopeter@gmail.com Tel.+2348166392038  

Accepted 13 June 2025

Abstract

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic brought about the most significant change in the way Nigerian scholars teach, learn, collaborate and carry out research, compelling a sudden and, to a large extent, unplanned shift towards virtual, as opposed to face-to-face, forms of academic interactions. Of the digital platforms implemented in this transition, Zoom Video Communications became the global video conferencing system of choice, with a growth rate exploding since December 2019 (10 million daily meeting participants) to April 2020 (300 million). The present paper will study the Zoom application, its idea, history, usage by Nigerian scholars, its challenges and strategic suggestions in the context of using technology in higher education in Nigeria. Using empirical research on Nigerian library schools and Rivers State University, Obafemi Awolowo University, and comparative international studies, the paper has provided evidence that Zoom adoption among the Nigerian academics has been high but limited by structural barriers such as poor internet infrastructure, high data charges, lack of sufficient device ownership, and unreliable power supply. These problems are augmented by Zoom-related factors such as the so-called Zoom fatigue, privacy, and the lack of capacity to integrate pedagogy. University administrators, educators, and policymakers are urged forward to employ strategic suggestions on maximizing the academic value of Zoom and reducing its pitfalls.

 

Key Words: Zoom, Video Conferencing, Nigerian Academics, E-learning, COVID-19, Higher Education, ICT, Virtual Learning.

Paper type: research