From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), on Saturday, administered matriculation oath to 14,953 new students offered admission for various undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
NOUN spokesman, Ibrahim Sheme, in a statement, indicated that the Registrar of NOUN, Mr. Felix Edoka, administered the matriculation oath to the students during the 21st matriculation ceremony for the new students held through a virtual platform across the 103 study centres of the university in the country in compliance with the COVID-19 protocol.
The Registrar informed the new students that NOUN is the only single-mode Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institution in Nigeria, and with about half a million students, NOUN could easily be identified as the largest university in terms of enrollment in the West African sub-region.
NOUN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Peters, assured the students that their welfare and academic satisfaction are of utmost priority to his administration and everything would be done to ensure they enjoy their time in NOUN.
He said: “It’s my delight and responsibility to assure you that the entire management and NOUN community are committed to making your stay in NOUN seamless, peaceful and safe.
“Your welfare and academic satisfaction are paramount to us. Our study centres are being renovated and modified for effective and ever improving service delivery.
“Our course material development, information request, service delivery and examination administration processes are continuously reviewed to advance your learning experience. Our e-library facilities are replicated in all study centres and will be further enhanced.”
The vice-chancellor, had upon assumption of office on February 11, 2021, assured that students’ welfare and satisfaction are top on his agenda, describing them as the university’s primary responsibility.
According to him, the mandate of NOUN is to ensure that students get the best in terms of online facilitation, portal access for information, learning content delivery, Computer-Based Test (CBT) examinations and assessments in whichever location of choice among the study centres in the country.
‘‘We will endeavour to provide you excellent opportunities for learning, an atmosphere of mutual respect, justice and quality service delivery. We are determined to make your learning rewarding and satisfactory,” he added.
He explained that the challenges of COVID-19, moved NOUN further and faster, as the learning systems were upgraded with the state-of-the-art methodologies and innovations for teaching and learning.
The VC disclosed that registration is being simplified further, with a ticketing system developed to attend to students’ requests for information complaints.
Prof. Peters, thus, advised the students to desist from anything that would make them become a disgrace to the NOUN family, while challenging them to be the generation that would restore Africa’s honour and change the continent.