NOUN welcomes over 15,000 students in Nigeria first online matriculation

By Felix Khanoba

The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) on Saturday matriculated over 15,000 students for its new academic session, with a charge on the new intakes to rise to the challenges of the modern world.

The University’s 19th matriculation ceremony, which was held online in keeping to COVID-19 prevention guidelines, is the first of such events in the history of the Nigerian University System.

The event was made possible by a ‘Zoom application’ and beamed live on major Social Media and NOUN platforms, with thousands of students joining from various locations across the country.

A statement made available to The AUTHORITY in Abuja on Saturday and signed by Ibrahim Sheme, Director, Media and Publicity, NOUN, said the Vice Chancellor, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, urged the new students to see any challenge they encounter in the course of studies as a building block.

“One block at a time, and you will erect a mansion,” he said, adding that, “You are in the best position to do this because your learning is powered by your personal desire to learn.”

The Vice Chancellor posited that technology has become a major commodity in the University such that students can easily interact directly with their lecturers by leveraging on its online facilities.

He pointed out that the University was the only one having a Directorate of Learning Content Management System (CLMS) which in due course could become a full-fledged online university.

Prof. Adamu, who will bow out as Vice Chancellor of NOUN next year, said all the academic programmes of the University are now fully accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

“Our programmes, quality assurance and delivery mechanisms are therefore more solid than those of many conventional universities who keep coming to us to see how we work this technological magic,” he said.

Adamu informed the students that the matriculation ceremony was his last as Vice Chancellor of NOUN as his tenure of five years will come to end in February, 2021.

“I want to meet you in the next four years, during your graduation, not as Vice-Chancellor, full of knowledge and ready to take on the world as a result of your studentship in NOUN, and proudly watch you graduate with flying colours as simply the best of the best,” he said.

Highpoint of the event was the taking of matriculation oaths by the new students, which was administered on them by the Registrar of NOUN, Mr. Felix Edoka.