Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has entered into partnership with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), for the use of the latter’s studios and other equipment across Nigeria for practicals by NOUN’s mass communication students.
NOUN was impressed with the world class broadcast equipment being used by FRCN to reach millions of Nigerians in different locations, hoping that its students would take advantage of the equipment and years of global experience of FRCN and its staff to acquire hands-on knowledge.
The deal was sealed in Abuja when the management of NOUN led by its Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu, paid a courtesy visit to the Director General of FRCN, Dr. Mansur Liman.
The VC told the FRCN management that practical is a critical component to the study of mass communication, and its BMAS (Benchmark Minimum Academic Standard) demand a practical exposure of the students.
He said that securing a place for the students to undertake practicals in the course of their study is central to the accreditation requirements of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
“You can imagine three to four thousand students in mass communication department across our campuses, where will they go and do practicals? And we don’t have a laboratory. A thought came that there are laboratories in FRCN and NTA offices across Nigeria and that was why we approached you,” he said.
Adamu added that NOUN has a student population of over 421,000 who are unevenly distributed across the country, pointing out that the national spread of the FRCN would enable them access ready studios for practicals easily.
The Vice Chancellor assured students that the partnership was not expected to add more financial burden on the students but to expose them to the practical rudiments of their profession.
Adamu, at the end of the discussion, presented a draft memorandum of understanding on the proposed partnership to the FRCN DG.
The FRCN DG in his response, expressed the willingness of the corporation to partner with NOUN, saying it was within its purvey to discharge such responsibility.
“We are already making available our facilities to journalism students across the country for practicals as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
He promised that his management team would critically examine the proposal with the purpose of implementation.