By Correspondent
The National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN hosted the Association of Nigerian Universities Alumni on a 3-Day Workshop at its headquarters in Jabi, Abuja from Wednesday 25th to Friday 27th August, 2021. The workshop with a theme: The Role of Alumni Associations in the Development of university Educationwhich was declared open by NOUN Vice Chancellor, ProfOlufemi Peters had in attendance delegates from manyuniversities in the country.
In his welcome address, Professor Peters expressed joy for the choice of NOUN as the Chief host adding that the event could not have been more apt at this time in the evolution of tertiary education in Nigeria considering various initiatives of the of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to review the curricula and improve the quality of virtually all programmes in Nigerian universities. The co-host, NOUN Alumni Association National President, Mr. Muntaka Abdul-Hadi Dabo in his welcome address acknowledged NOUN management’s supports to their activities, whilst the National chairman of Association of Nigerian Universities Alumni, (ANUA), Dr. Stephen Olawale Fasakin called for enhanced synergy between universities’ managements and alumni for greater service-delivery. Other speakers include Prof Ahmed Iliyasu from Bayero University, Kano and Prof B.T.O. Ikegwuoha, a former Commissioner of Education in Imo State. Others are Prof Sulyman A. Abdulkarim, Prof Bibiana Igbabul, Alh. Sule Dauda, Dr. Dennis Ekemezie and Dr. Shehu Inuwa Galoji.
NOUN Vice Chancellor also splendidly buttressed on the wisdom in the choice of his university as the host of the event. ”The choice of National Open University of Nigeria as host, is most appropriate, considering the uniqueness of our institution. As the largest University in West Africa, dedicated to the delivery of Open and Distance Learning, NOUN is a melting pot for diverse population of learners, educational facilitators and competencies in blended learning. Indeed, by far, compared to the number of convocations over time, NOUN has produced more graduates than any other University in Nigeria.
“This awareness and acknowledgement was all the incentive needed to propel the decision to, within three months of my assumption of office, establish the Directorate of Advancement and Linkages with a seasoned administrator at its helm. I am proud to say that though it’s a new Directorate, it had functioned as if it was established over a long time. Thanks to the Leadership of the Directorate. Its contributions had enabled us for the first time agreeing to host this conference in our university. “An Alumni relations office is, amongst other responsibilities saddled with the organization of events and programmes. Specifically, their primary responsibilities are to handle the promotion of special events through societal impact, whilst ensuring dedicated oversight for execution. This is what I believe we are doing today. I am glad that NOUN through the directorate is hosting this important activity”, Prof Peters stated. The VC however regretted that the unique mode of learning of NOUN had earlier attracted some misconceptions in the society but providentially, resolved by Covid-19 pandemic which eventually makes NOUN mode of learning highly appreciated and embraced by other universities across the nation.
“As you know, the National Open University of Nigeria is a different University in our country and indeed in other climes where they are similarly established. This difference, arising principally from its mode of learning instruction to students is amplified by lack of proper understanding of the rigor involved at both the student level and the management of learning activities. It has inadvertently attracted some misconceptions about the university and our products. But thanks, though sadly, to COVID-19 pandemic, our instruments of teaching have become the inevitable mode pf operation of all knowledge-based activities across the world. We hope it will change the narratives sooner or later. “For those of us that have taken the challenge of managing this university, we know, because we are products of other mode of teaching, that a student that passes through our curriculum is worthy of its acclaimed academic degree. Therein lies one of the main reasons that we are very glad to be associated with this event today”, he concluded.
