Challenges of Digitalization Among UBE Teachers: Implications for Effective Curriculum Implementation in Nigeria

Abstract

The global shift toward digitalization has redefined teaching, learning, and curriculum delivery. However, in many developing contexts such as Nigeria, significant challenges undermine effective technology integration in education. This article critically examines the challenges of digitalization among Universal Basic Education (UBE) teachers in Nigeria and analyzes the implications for curriculum implementation. Anchored in the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework and the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory, the study employs a desk-based systematic review of empirical and conceptual studies from 2015 to 2025. Findings reveal that UBE teachers face multi-dimensional barriers to digitalization: (a) infrastructural deficits such as unreliable electricity and inadequate internet connectivity; (b) teacher-level constraints including limited digital competence, negative attitudes toward technology use, and heavy workloads; and (c) systemic issues such as weak ICT policy coherence, insufficient funding, and inequitable access across rural–urban and gender divides. These challenges inhibit learner-centered pedagogy, constrain inclusive curriculum implementation, and risk perpetuating inequalities in educational outcomes. The article concludes by advocating for comprehensive reforms: sustained teacher professional development, infrastructural investments, equity-oriented policies, and strategic public-private partnerships. By situating Nigeria’s UBE experience within global debates on digitalization, this study contributes to scholarship on technology integration in low- and middle-income countries and provides actionable recommendations for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4).