Paper Title
Using ICT to Overpass the Gaps Between Life-Long Education, Unemployment and Falling Educational Standard in Nigeria Amidst Strikes

Abstract
The integration of digital information and utilization of virtual space in almost every aspect of the society has been made easy with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) which is positively affecting education and the every field of learning. Lifelong learning is about acquiring and updating all kinds of abilities, interests, knowledge and qualifications from the pre-school years to post retirement. The embarrassment of unemployment and unemployable youths is commonplace in Nigeria where strikes in the educational sector are frequent. We discuss in this paper the conceptual frameworks and innovative computational environments to support lifelong learning and discuss the ways that ICT can be more gainfully deployed to bridge these gaps. Multistage sampling procedure was adopted for the study. Stratified random sampling technique and simple random sampling techniques were used to draw 100 undergraduate students, 100 unemployed graduates, 100 academic and nonacademic staff and 100 retired staff from Imo State, Nigeria. A researcher’s designed instrument with a four point rating scale titled “bridging the gaps between “life-long education, unemployment and improved educational quality in a "strike-prone" area” was used to elicit responses from the respondents and to collect data. The instrument was face-validated by 3 experts in test and measurement. These figures confirmed that the instrument was reliable for use in realizing the research objectives. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research question while independent t-test was used to analyze data for the hypothesis tested at 0.05 level of significance. The results obtained will guide educational administrators, graduates and aid the retired-workers face the challenges of fending for themselves after retirement. The long-term effect will be improved educational standard, in spite of the incessant strikes, when the appropriate policies are implemented by all the active parties involved. Keywords - ICT; Life-long education; strikes; unemployment; improved education, Nigeria