Speaker
Description
Sulaiman, A. A.
Nasarawa State University Keffi
aburuqayyah@nsuk.edu.ng
Track: Digital Transformation in Higher Education
The rapid digital transformation of higher education has created unprecedented opportunities for teaching, learning, research, and innovation. However, persistent disparities in access to digital infrastructure, technological resources, digital literacy, and institutional capacity continue to widen the digital divide across African universities, undermining the realization of inclusive and future-ready higher education ecosystems. This paper examines how an Islamic ethical framework can contribute to addressing these challenges by promoting equitable access to digital opportunities and fostering sustainable educational development. Drawing on the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the higher objectives of Islamic law (Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah), the study highlights the relevance of ethical principles such as justice (ʿadl), public interest (maṣlaḥah), trust (amānah), excellence (iḥsān), consultation (shūrā), and the pursuit of knowledge (ṭalab al-ʿilm) in guiding digital transformation within higher education. Using a qualitative doctrinal approach supported by a review of contemporary literature, the paper develops an Islamic ethical framework for promoting digital inclusion, responsible technology adoption, ethical artificial intelligence, institutional collaboration, and inclusive policy formulation. It argues that embedding Islamic ethical values into digital governance and educational planning can enhance equitable access to technology, strengthen academic integrity, reduce educational inequalities, and prepare graduates with the competencies required for the twenty-first-century knowledge economy. The paper concludes that integrating Islamic ethical principles into Africa's digital higher education agenda provides a culturally grounded and sustainable pathway for bridging the digital divide and reimagining resilient, innovative, and future-ready universities capable of advancing the continent's educational and socio-economic transformation.