NOUN Graduates 17, 420 at 14th Convocation

The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) will this Saturday graduate 17, 420 students at its 14th convocation ceremony in Abuja.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Olufemi Peters, while briefing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday day, disclosed that 16 out of the total number of undergraduates bagged First Class degrees.

Further giving a breakdown of the figure, the VC said the university has 10,967 students as undergraduates while 6,413 will graduate from post-graduate studies.

“I want to report that this another opportunity for us to celebrate the academic achievements of our students. A total of 17420 students will be graduating this year. Comprising of 10, 967 undergraduates, 6, 413 post-graduates, and then we have 40 students who are graduating at the Ph.D level. This is a remarkable growth from where we started years ago.

“This number that are graduating we have 2,103 post-graduate Diploma, 4,310 will be having Masters Degree.

Of the undergraduates we have 16 first class which is fantastic. We have 1, 417 second upper, 5,518 second class lower, and 2,761 as third class.

“You will also recall that as part of our social services we also students at the correctional centres in Nigeria. The total number of correctional inmate graduating this year is 51, we have 40 undergraduate students and 10 postgraduate on correctional centres.

“Because of the social value that we have created the Ministry of Interior keep on requesting that we extend our services to as many correctional centres as possible. Whereas they have made this request we are being very cautious because of the logistics of giving lectures to those inmates. And you do not forget that all our correctional inmates have been sponsored by the university,” Prof. Peters said.

The VC declared that all NOUN’s academic programmes are accredited except for 3 that their accreditation processes are still ongoing. He said these courses include; Yoruba, Human Kinetic and Physical Health, among others. He also said the institution added a new faculty.

“We have nine faculties now. We added a faculty of computing recently in line with what the national universities commission has prescribed, and in line with the global trend about what computing and I.T does to the lives of every person on the planet,

“We want to continue to encourage our regulatory bodies of education that the one brush they use for accreditation may no longer be sustainable. We will suggest that they sit down and do a little bit of more of engineering of accreditation processes.

“Currently, all our programmes are accredited by the National University Commission save three, and the three was visited at 3 months ago, and we are waiting for the report of that accreditation exercise.,” he said.

He revealed that NOUN is leading in terms of deployment of technology among other open universities in Africa.

“For the record, our I.T personnel numbered over 350, there is no university that is a house to I.T experts like our university. The same thing Councillors, we have over 350 Councillors, no university houses this number of Councilors,”

He therefore reaffirmed the university’s commitment to leveraging technology to enhance its operational efficiency.

The VC revealed that NOUN has gained global recognition among other open universities.

He said,” I did a statement about our relationship with other bodies, and one of such is the International Council for distance education and we are now also recognized that we were invited formally to submit a proposal to host their global conference. That is a sign of our contribution to the world.

“I want to recall that the Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, is the first Vice President for the African Council for Distance Education, through which the Brazilian, the South American Council for Distance Education have also invited the NOUN to come and share it’s experiences.” 

Prof. Peters disclosed that the convocation ceremony award of honorary degrees will be given to two outstanding Nigerians, Dr. Dr. Olafemi Adesina and the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.

“At this convocation, we are also going to give honorary degrees. This Friday, we have an erudite scholar, he is a proud son of Nigeria, who is making waves all over the world, the person of Dr. Olafemi Adesina.

“We are going to give Dr Adesina one honorary award, and we also going give to another notable Nigerian, the Rt Hon. Speaker, Federal House Representative, Dr. Tajudeen Abbas

He revealed that Dr. Adesina will give the convocation lecture, while the occasion will be chaired by former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega.