By Felix Khanoba
The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) will on Saturday confer honorary doctorate degrees on two distinguished Nigerians, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma and Hajiya Hafsatu Abdulwaheed.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Olufemi A. Peters, announced this on Monday in Abuja at a press briefing on the institution’s forthcoming 13th Convocation ceremony.
Chukwuma is a renown entrepreneur and founder of Innoson Motors, one of Nigeria’s top automobile companies, while Hajiya Hafsatu was the first female novelist in northern Nigeria, prominent activist and philanthropist.
According to Peters, the CEO of Innoson Motors is going to be awarded the honorary doctorate degree in Business Administration because of “his creativity, innovation, and dedication to local content.”
Commenting on Hajiya Hafsatu Abdulwaheed, whose Hausa novel So Aljannar Duniya was published in 1974, he said she would receive the award of an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa.
A statement signed by Ibrahim Sheme, Director of Media and Publicity of NOUN, quoted Peters as saying : “She has devoted her life to promoting education, especially for girls, believing in literacy’s power to transform communities and break the cycle of poverty.”
He added that both recipients “embody NOUN’s core values of entrepreneurial ingenuity, knowledge-based content, and creativity.”
The VC emphasised that awarding honorary degrees is not common at the NOUN, and a careful consideration was therefore given before such decisions were made.
Peters stated that the recognition was a significant achievement for the university community and has paved the way for valuable knowledge-based partnerships.
The VC further revealed that the ceremony will witness the graduation of 22,175 students, divided into 15,768 undergraduates from various departments in the eight faculties of the university, and 6,407 postgraduate students, as well as six PhD graduands.
The ceremony will be preceded by the investiture of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, as the new Chancellor of the university on Thursday and the Convocation Lecture to be delivered on Friday by the Vice-Chancellor of the Open University of Tanzania, Professor Elifas Bisanda.
