Analytical Study of the Barriers to Adoption of Learning Management Systems in Nigerian State Universities

Learning management systems are foundational infrastructure for systematic blended and online learning in higher education, yet their adoption rates in Nigerian state universities remain low despite government investment, and analytically characterising the adoption barriers fills an important gap in Nigerian higher education technology research. This study analytically examined the barriers to LMS adoption in five Nigerian state universities: Benue State University (NC), Katsina State University (NW), Ondo State University of Science and Technology (SW), Ebonyi State University (SE), and Delta State University (SS). A mixed-methods analytical design was employed, combining a Technology Acceptance Model-based survey with 250 academic staff and structured interviews with 15 university ICT directors and senior academics. TAM analysis showed that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness were the strongest positive adoption predictors, while institutional support quality was the most significant contextual moderator. Structural equation modelling confirmed that lack of institutional support fully mediated the relationship between lecturer attitude and actual LMS use (indirect effect: beta = 0.41, p < 0.001). Network connectivity reliability (ranked first barrier by 76.4 percent of respondents), absence of LMS training (68.0 percent), and inadequate content management support (62.4 percent) were the dominant barriers. The study provides an original multi-state analytical contribution to LMS adoption literature in Nigerian higher education and recommends differentiated adoption strategies addressing connectivity, training, and support as parallel investments. Keywords: learning management system, LMS adoption, state universities, Technology Acceptance Model, barriers