Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Vice Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Abdallah Uba Adamu, has said that NOUN has grown significantly, academically and otherwise, beyond being referred to, as a second-class university in Nigeria.
He said the school had, undoubtedly, proved its class and worth through its innovation and creativity that resulted in quality and cost-friendly academic services to thousands of students in Nigeria and beyond.
Adamu who spoke at the 2019 matriculation ceremony at NOUN headquarters in Abuja, on Saturday, said his vision is to make NOUN the foremost university in Nigeria with proven world-class academic services that would produce graduates with key to global challenges.
No fewer than 17, 000 new students, including prison inmate students were officially administered matriculation oath for several undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at 78 NOUN study centres across the country.
About 500 of the new students were admitted to study at a study centre owned by the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), in Abuja.
The NURTW study centre Director, Prof. Ibikunle Tijani, who represented the Vice-Chancellor on the occasion, challenged the new students to take advantage of academic opportunities in the school to acquire knowledge and sharpen their skills for global relevance.
He said: “Since our last matriculation in 2018, we have put in place a number of measures that would ease your studentship in NOUN. First was the establishment of a directorate of learning content-management system.
“In addition to that, we strengthened students entrepreneurship training, aimed at empowering their creative and entrepreneurship capabilities. We equally established incubation centres in some states of Nigeria.
“But most importantly was the gazetting of our amended act. It placed us at par with other conventional universities in Nigeria.”
He told the new students that discipline and time consciousness are keys to academic success in NOUN. “I mean that you must regulate yourselves in your studies and habits.
“You must also know that NOUN is not a regular university. To this end, you are not expected to be involved in cultism, sexual harassment by lecturers and other social vices that are being recorded in conventional universities.”