Asian Basic and Applied Research Journal

This study investigated the influence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on the professional skills acquisition of Office Technology and Management (OTM) students in polytechnics in Southwest Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised all Higher National Diploma II (HND II) OTM students in five Federal Polytechnics offering OTM in Southwest Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select a sample of 300 respondents. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Information and Communication Technology and Professional Skills Acquisition Questionnaire (ICTPSAQ). The instrument was validated by three experts, while its reliability was established using the Cronbach’s alpha technique, which yielded an overall reliability coefficient of 0.82. The data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation. The findings revealed that ICT influences the acquisition of office administration skills among OTM students to a great extent. The study further found that ICT influences the acquisition of records management skills to a great extent. Similarly, ICT was found to influence the acquisition of time management skills among OTM students to a great extent. The study concluded that ICT plays an important role in enhancing the professional skills required by OTM students for effective performance in contemporary office environments. It was therefore recommended that polytechnics strengthen ICT integration, improve ICT infrastructure, and provide continuous practical exposure to modern office technologies to enhance students' professional competencies.