The Community Health Institute (CHI) has unveiled a cutting-edge Learning Management System (LMS) that positions the institution at the forefront of digital education innovation in Nigeria’s health sector. The comprehensive platform, accessible via web and mobile applications, enables both on-campus and distance learning, dramatically expanding access to quality community health education across Nigeria.
Digital Transformation in Health Education
The new LMS represents CHI’s commitment to leveraging technology to overcome geographical barriers and expand educational access. With Nigeria’s vast territory and the concentration of educational institutions in urban centers, the platform enables students from any part of the country to access world-class community health training.
“We’re not just adopting technology; we’re transforming how community health education is delivered in Nigeria,” declared Dr. Risikat M. Onawola, Director of CHI. “Our LMS makes it possible for a student in Sokoto, Calabar, or anywhere in Nigeria to access the same quality education as someone on our Abuja campus.”
Comprehensive Platform Features
The CHI LMS is built on a robust, internationally recognized platform customized specifically for community health education. Key features include:
Course Management and Delivery
- Upload and organize comprehensive course content, including syllabi, reading materials, videos, and multimedia resources
- Structured learning paths tailored to each of the nine specialty programmes
- Interactive content including H5P activities, simulations, and case studies
Student Engagement Tools
- Real-time progress dashboards showing course completion and performance
- Discussion forums enabling peer-to-peer and student-instructor interaction
- Live virtual classrooms using BigBlueButton technology for synchronous learning
- Automated enrollment and attendance tracking
Assessment and Evaluation
- Digital assignment submission with plagiarism detection
- Automated grading for objective assessments
- Rubric-based evaluation for subjective assignments
- Comprehensive gradebook accessible to students and instructors
- Quiz banks with randomized question sets
Mobile Learning Revolution
Perhaps most revolutionary is the LMS mobile application, available for both iOS and Android devices. The app enables:
- Offline Access: Students can download lectures, materials, and assignments to study without internet connectivity
- Push Notifications: Instant alerts for new assignments, grades, announcements, and deadlines
- On-the-Go Learning: Access full course content, submit assignments, and take quizzes from smartphones or tablets
- Multimedia Support: Stream or download video lectures, listen to audio content, and annotate PDFs
“In a country where internet access can be unreliable, the offline capability is game-changing,” explained Mrs. Oluwaseun O. Omoyele, Deputy Director of Academic Planning. “Students can download content when they have WiFi access and study anytime, anywhere, even without data.”
Integrated Payment System
Innovation extends beyond learning to administration. CHI’s LMS integrates a secure online payment system allowing students to:
- Pay tuition fees via multiple methods (cards, bank transfer, mobile money)
- Receive instant payment confirmation and automatic enrollment
- Download official receipts immediately
- Track payment history and outstanding balances
- Set up installment payment plans
The system integrates with major Nigerian payment gateways including Paystack, Flutterwave, and Remita, ensuring reliable, secure transactions.
Analytics and Insights
For instructors and administrators, the LMS provides powerful analytics:
- Student performance trends and at-risk identification
- Course effectiveness metrics
- Engagement statistics
- Completion rates and progression tracking
- Custom report generation for CHPRBN compliance and accreditation
“Data-driven decision-making is crucial in modern education,” noted Dr. Yohanna Wamanyi, Deputy Director of Research & Development. “Our analytics help us identify struggling students early and intervene before they fall behind.”
Addressing Nigeria’s Education Access Gap
The timing of CHI’s LMS launch is particularly significant given Nigeria’s tertiary education access challenges. With limited physical spaces in existing institutions and only 26% of applicants gaining admission annually, distance learning platforms like CHI’s LMS provide crucial alternative pathways.
“Distance learning isn’t second-class education anymore,” Dr. Onawola emphasized. “With our LMS, distance learning students receive the same high-quality content, assessments, and support as on-campus students. The only difference is flexibility.”
Faculty Empowerment
CHI has invested heavily in training faculty to maximize the LMS’s potential. All instructors undergo comprehensive training in:
- Creating engaging online content
- Facilitating virtual discussions
- Designing effective online assessments
- Using analytics to improve teaching
- Conducting live virtual classes
“Initially, some faculty were apprehensive about technology,” admitted one senior lecturer who requested anonymity. “But after training, we discovered how the LMS actually makes teaching more effective and gives us better insights into student learning.”
Student Response
Early adopters among CHI’s pilot student cohort have praised the platform’s user-friendliness and functionality.
“I’m a working health professional in Lagos,” shared Chioma Adeleke (name changed), a student in the Community Maternal Health programme. “The LMS lets me balance my job, family, and studies. I watch lectures during my commute, participate in discussions during breaks, and submit assignments from my phone. It’s incredible.”
Another student, Ibrahim Musa from Kano, noted: “The offline feature is perfect for us in areas with poor internet. I download everything when I visit town with good network, then study all week in my village without worrying about data.”
Technical Infrastructure
CHI’s LMS is hosted on secure, redundant servers with 99.9% uptime guarantee. The platform features:
- Bank-grade encryption for data security
- Regular automated backups
- 24/7 technical support
- Compliance with international data protection standards
- Mobile-responsive design
Future Enhancements
CHI plans continuous platform improvements, including:
- Artificial Intelligence-powered personalized learning paths
- Virtual reality simulations for clinical training
- Integration with wearable health devices for practical assessments
- Expanded multilingual support
- Enhanced collaboration tools
CHPRBN Recognition
The Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria has recognized CHI’s LMS as meeting standards for distance learning delivery, ensuring graduates from online programmes are eligible for professional registration.
“CHI’s LMS demonstrates how technology can expand quality education while maintaining professional standards,” commented Dr. Bashir Idris, CHPRBN Registrar/CEO. “This is the future of community health education in Nigeria.”
International Workshop
To further empower CHI leadership and faculty, the institute plans an international workshop in Qatar or Singapore, where participants will visit world-leading institutions to observe best practices in digital education and LMS utilization.
“We want to learn from the best globally,” Dr. Onawola explained. “This investment in international exposure will help us continually improve our platform and stay at the cutting edge of educational technology.”
Cost-Effective Model
Despite the sophisticated technology, CHI has adopted a sustainable cost model. Rather than charging students separate technology fees, the platform is supported through a small commission on online payments (15% of transactions), ensuring the system remains financially sustainable without burdening students.
Access the Platform
Current students can access the LMS at lms.chi.edu.ng. Prospective students can explore demo courses and features on CHI’s website.
The mobile app, “CHI Learning,” is available for download on:
- Apple App Store (for iOS devices)
- Google Play Store (for Android devices)
About CHI’s Digital Transformation
The LMS launch is part of CHI’s broader digital transformation strategy aimed at establishing the institute as Nigeria’s leading digital health education provider. Future phases include electronic health records training, telemedicine simulation, and artificial intelligence applications in community health.
For more information:
Visit: www.chi.edu.ng/lms
Email: lms@chi.edu.ng
Technical Support: support@chi.edu.ng
Phone: 0805 351 3944
