The chairman of the Governing Council of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Peter Okebukola, has disclosed that the Open University offered some repentant Boko Haram members admission to pursue their degree programmes at NOUN.
Mr Okebukola, made this known at a press briefing in Abuja, saying the institution has recorded significant accomplishments and giant stride in recent years.
He expressed confidence in the school Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, who he said introduced critical reforms and outstanding innovations that has made NOUN a global institution to be reckoned with.
The chairman, who appealed to TETFund to continue supporting NOUN with massive funds, in order to ensure that NOUN university education reaches over one million Nigerians in the next few years, said the present enrollment figure of the National Open University stands at 550,000.
He expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari; Education Minister, Malam Adamu and the management of TETFund, for the uncommon supports they have been providing towards the development of the university.
“Our Governing Council is eternally grateful to the management of TETFund. Through TETFund’s intervention, NOUN is witnessing an increasing number of infrastructures been constructed at the school main campus in Jabi, as well as other states across the federation,” he said.
Mr Okebukola, then revealed that the Government of Belarus has requested NOUN to hosts its Education fair in Nigeria, in December, saying: “Over ten international conferences and seven workshops have been hosted by our university in the last three months.
“Again, our erudite VC, Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu, was honored with honorary fellowship of the Commonwealth of Learning, recently in Edinburg, Scotland. This is due to NOUN’s innovative use of technology to reach out to teeming students in the 81 study centres across the country, including correctional Centres.”
He further disclosed that the University Senate has approved a whole range of new undergraduate and post-graduate academic programmes in order to provide more opportunities to thousands of Nigerians who would not have been able to study these programmes due to their individual circumstances.
The programmes include B.Scs. in International Relations, French, and Development; Masters of Law and International Law and Diplomacy; Doctor of Philosophy Law, among several others.
Mr Okebukola, also said the school Governing Council has already approved the appointment of Prof. Uduma Orji Uduma of the Department of Philosophy, as the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic.
, Professor Peter Okebukola, has disclosed that the Open University offered some repentant Boko Haram members admission to pursue their degree programmes at NOUN.){kind=link}