The President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has directed that the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), to include NOUN graduates in the National Youth Service Corps and Law School respectively.
This was revealed in a speech by the Deputy Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Dr. Biodun Saliu who represented the president at the 13th Convocation Ceremony of the university which was held on Saturday, April 13th 2024 at the university headquarters, Jabi, Abuja.
Dr.Biodun disclosed in his speech that “With the changing demographics of our great nation, the government has recognized the importance of allowing NOUN graduates to participate in the NYSC scheme. He also revealed the positive resolution of the longstanding issue regarding the attendance of NOUN law graduates at the Law School “The doors of the Law School are now open to the graduates, ensuring equal opportunities for all. Any remaining concerns or uncertainties should be promptly addressed by the Federal Ministry of Education”.
President Tinubu emphasized the vital role of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in Nigeria’s educational landscape and pledged his administration’s commitment to promoting ODL to improve access to higher education. He highlighted the importance of ODL in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and assured the provision of an enabling environment for quality ODL delivery through government agencies.
Acknowledging NOUN’s evolution from its inception as a means of providing education for the working class to its current role in providing access to education for the youth population, President Tinubu expressed concern over the challenge of school leavers unable to secure admissions into conventional universities. He called for enhanced research efforts in technology to increase NOUN’s admission of young school leavers and improve social safety nets.
The President commended NOUN’s pivotal role in advancing the government’s initiatives in ICT-driven learning. He announced plans for NOUN to provide access to government functionaries into various ICT programs, especially postgraduate programs in ACETEL, within the next six months. He encouraged NOUN to admit qualified government functionaries into postgraduate programs to support the government’s transformative journey with the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in government operations.
