The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Open University of Nigeria

  • Obasanjo successfully completes PhD programme at NOUN

    Obasanjo successfully completes PhD programme at NOUN

    Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, is among 14, 771 persons expected to receive honours at the 7th convocation of National Open University of Nigeria ( NOUN ), Prof. Abdalla Adamu, NOUN’s Vice-Chancellor, has said.

    The former president is expected to receive a doctorate in Christian Theology, Adamu said at a news briefing on the institution’s 2018 convocation scheduled for Jan. 20 at its s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.

    He said Obasanjo would be considered for an appointment as a facilitator or supervisor as PhD was the least qualification for one to teach in the institution.

    The vice-chancellor said 14,771 was the highest number any institution in Nigeria had ever graduated at a convocation ceremony.

    He said in spite of being a former president, Obasanjo conducted himself properly and deservedly bagged Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Theology.

    “One of the graduands is the first PhD graduate the institution will produce; a university must graduate students at academic Masters Level before graduating PhD.

    “Only one candidate has been able to do that and that is Obasanjo; the Senate has found him worthy of the award and approved the conferment of PhD on him.

    Read also: Obasanjo, seven governors and Buhari’s second term

    “There are lessons to be learnt from Obasanjo’s feat – one is never too old to learn; Obasanjo was about 80 years when he started the programme and has finished it at 82.

    “Again, one is never too powerful to learn; he was the president twice and yet subjected himself to learning; learning is a humbling process.

    “We will consider him for the post of a facilitator or supervisor; maybe for our Abeokuta Study Centre; we will suggest it to him.’’

    Adamu said that because of Obasanjo’s achievement, NOUN had received requests from other older citizens.

    He said the institution was able to graduate such a huge number of students because it had created its own internal data management which was previously handled by external vendors.

    The vice-chancellor said students who were hitherto not cleared by the external vendors had been cleared.

    He said that NOUN’s Business School would soon take off and would run nine professional programmes.

    Adamu said the institution had created Centre for Entrepreneurship Studies which would generate employment opportunities for the graduates.

    According to him, NOUN has opened linkages with foreign universities in order to broaden its scope.

    “Sussex University in the UK has reached out to us-to be its hub in Nigeria; Open University of UK, University of South Africa among other are partnering with us.

    “We are expanding to create Diaspora study centres in Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Gambia, Senegal, among others.

    “These are still subject to approval from the National Universities Commission, the Federal Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,’’ he said.

    On the standoff between NOUN and the Council for Legal Education over the status of Law graduates, he said that the Senate had passed the NOUN Act Amendment Bill.

    He said once both chambers harmonise the bill, it would be sent for presidential assent.

    Adamu said once the amendment was signed into law, all controversies surrounding the Law programme as well that concerning the National Youth Service Corps would be resolved.

    NAN

  • Inmate emerges overall best Masters graduate of NOUN

    Inmate emerges overall best Masters graduate of NOUN

    An inmate of Enugu Maximum Security prison, Chukwununso Nomeh has emerged the overall best Post-graduate student of the National Open University of Nigeria ( NOUN ) prisons special study centres nationwide.

    The spokesperson of the Nigeria Prison Service in Enugu State, Mr Chukwuemeka Monday made the disclosure in a statement issued in Enugu on Friday.

    Nomeh, a convicted inmate, who was sentenced in 2010 gained admission to study Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

    He graduated with a cumulative grade point of 3.80.

    The Desk Officer of Enugu study centre, CSP Kelvin Iloafonsi said two other inmates also graduated from the NOUN post graduate school.

    Iloafonsi said that one of the inmates had since been released.

    The spokesperson recalled that one of the ex-convict of the same centre, Theophilus Adeniyi, emerged the overall best graduating student in 2014 while in incarceration.

    Monday said that he was currently pursuing his PhD in one of the universities in Nigeria.

    The Controller of prison in the state, Ndubuisi Ogbodo, encouraged more inmates to enroll into NOUN and embrace the transformation mantra of the Controller General of Prison, Ja’afaru Ahmed which focused on training and retraining of both staff and inmates.

    Read Also: Buhari applauds NOUN for redefining ODL

    The CP also called on the public to accept ex-convicts as reformed and responsible member of the society.

    He said that their continuous rejection would only lead them back to crime.

    NAN

  • NOUN gets first female Deputy Vice-Chancellor

    NOUN gets first female Deputy Vice-Chancellor

    A new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Professor Joy Eyisi,  has been elected by the Senate of the National Open University of Nigeria.

    Eyisi assumed duty on Thursday as the first female  Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the institution.

    A statement by the Director, Media & Publicity, NOUN, Ibrahim Sheme, said Eyisi’s assumption  “followed her victory in an election conducted by the university Senate on Wednesday to fill the slot which became vacant at the expiration of the tenure of Professor Patrick Eya.”

    The statement said: “Eya is expected to resume in December as the director of the university’s Regional Training for Open and Distance Learning.

    “Eyisi, the immediate past director of NOUN’s special study centre located at the National Assembly, is the first female DVC in the history of the university.

    “A professor of English language, she hails from Adazi-Ani in the Ani-Ocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.  Her tenure is two years.

    “At the brief handover ceremony held NOUN’s headquarters in Abuja, the new DVC thanked her predecessor for his fatherly advice and the university management for its confidence in her.

    “The event was witnessed by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, who felicitated with both Eya and Eyisi – one for successfully completing his tenure and the other for her victory.

    “Adamu reiterated his confidence in NOUN’s women community, saying the women in the university are some of the best in Nigerian academia.

    “He said Eyisi’s election has reaffirmed the balancing act in the university whereby every geopolitical zone in the country is represented in NOUN’s management structure.”

  • Undergraduate charged with unlawful possession of pistol

    Undergraduate charged with unlawful possession of pistol

    A 26-year-old student of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) was on Thursday charged with unlawful possession of a gun and eight rounds of ammunition at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

    The accused, Bishung Ogogo, resident of Ibeju-Lekki, Ajah, Lagos, is standing trial on a three-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful possession of firearms and fake documents.

    He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    But the Prosecutor, Sgt. Donjor Perezi told the court that the accused committed the offences on April 3 at about 2.30.p.m. at Addo Junction in Ajah area of Lagos.

    Perezi said the accused was caught with a pistol and eight live cartridges by an anti-crime patrol team.

    Also found in his possession are some fake documents, ATM cards belonging to some people, an international passport and a driver’s licence.

    The offences contravened Sections 320, 326 and 329 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs O.A. Layinka, granted the accused bail in the sum of N300, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    Layinka said the sureties must be gainfully employed and should also provide evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    The case was adjourned until May 23 for mention.

  • Is The National Open University Back To The Dark Ages?

    Is The National Open University Back To The Dark Ages?

    A ubiquitous trend in all human species and societies is a constant desire for change – change from bad to good, and good to better. It is a desire that has fueled decades of development and propelled advancements in science, medicine, technology, arts etc. Change however is not always progressive. There exists the propensity for change from good to bad due to leadership challenges. And it breaks the heart that the change currently being experienced at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) is one that threatens to undo years of progressive developments at the institution.

    The federal government in February 2016 rejigged the leadership of the nation’s flagship open and distance learning institution by appointing Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu as Vice Chancellor, taking over from Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe. This was immediately challenged by a civil society organisation, alleging that the move ran contrary to the National Open University Act (2004), which mandates the federal government to consult with the University Council before removing or appointing a Vice Chancellor.

    The National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, was established formally in 2002 as the flagship tertiary institution for Open and Distance Learning in Nigeria. Since its establishment, the institution has engaged the services of NOUN iLEARN, a harmonised Learning Management Portal that allows for online instructional delivery through the combination of audio, video and text mediums.

    Without the iLEARN platform, the relationship and synergy that exists between the students and the knowledge bank as provided by the university management through the lecturers are shattered. And this transcends academics. Other aspects of the university operations made possible through the iLEARN technology are condemned to stone age realities. Unfortunately, this is what currently obtains at NOUN as decisions taken by the VC have plunged the school into an operational chaos that is having a devastating impact on the students.

    The iLEARN platform serves as the digital soul for the smooth running of an ICT-compliant National Open University. Without it, students are subjected to long trips to and from the school to physically do things that should be done remotely. The workload of support staff and admin officers are tripled as they have to attend to long queues and manually fill forms and file papers. Removal of the iLEARN platform basically strips NOUN of all its ICT components and that is what the leadership of Professor Abdalla Adamu has done.

    Apart from operations, iLEARN provides NOUN students with dedicated support lines and staff who answer student’s questions on all matters of interest from admission to graduation. The service ensures students can reach to the school via multiple social and digital media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, BBM, blogs all coordinated and linked to a dedicated call centre with 5 personnel per time. Before the questionable decision to stop the service, students called in from all part of the world to make enquiries on NOUN through iLEARN.

    Now students must visit the institution to make enquiries. Without the synergy and connectivity that iLEARN provides, students no longer have valuable and immediate feedback on issues affecting them and the management is left winking in the dark as well.

    It gets even worse

    Professor Abdalla’s insistence of doing things his own way even when all available metrics point to better solutions has left NOUN with a broken student-tutor interaction system. Due to the VC’s decision to strip the school of ICT framework provided by the iLEARN platform, students now rely more on self-learning and have been cut out of interacting with tutors where they could ask questions and get guidance on studies.

    Currently, there are no engagements or interactions of any sort between students and tutors. In the bid to help themselves, they must constantly source for tutors to tutor them face to face – which is against the vision and spirit behind the establishment of the institution.

    It doesn’t end there

    In the catalogue of retrogressive taken the current VC to undo 15 years of development at NOUN is the decentralisation of the university portal. Before now, nou.edu.ng served as NOUN’s only website and a centralised portal that guided students’ and visitors alike for correct information while providing the school with the benefit of being well placed according to webometrics ranking.

    This has since changed under the new VC. NOUN now operates multiple websites with portals that have barely worked for 48 hours, leaving students stranded at different stages of their payment and registration processes. This has also opened students and the institution to security challenges as sensitive information are entered into different websites in a world of cyber and information attacks. The cost of operating multiple websites also raises the question of whether the VC’s decision makes any economic sense.

    These and more are what students of the National Open University are currently dealing with. Learning has been made cumbersome, and even basic processes such as payment of fees, registration and taking exams have become so stressful that a lot of students have been demoralised and frustrated.

    Things may yet get worse if the current trend is not checked. A fully functional and operational NOUN is in the best interest of Nigeria’s human capital development. As such the relevant authorities must come to the aid of the labouring students of the school by compelling the VC to reverse the damaging policies so instituted.

    Ahmed Abdullahi

    writes from Lagos

  • NASS ready to review health laws, says Rep

    The Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Health Care Services, Muhammad Musa Bello, on Monday said the National Assembly is ready to review, amend and pass new laws to improve health care services in Nigeria.

    Mr. Bello spoke at the 2nd international public health conference with the theme: “Trending Issues in Public Health Services Delivery” in Abuja.

    The programme was organized by the Faculty of Health Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja.

    Bello lamented the poor budgetary allocation to the health sector by the Federal Government.

    According to him, the 4.13 per cent allocation this year means the sector would face challenges to provide health care services to Nigerians.

    He said: “Malaria is still a major disease in Nigeria because many Nigerians are dying from it. Millions of Nigerians are dying every day from various diseases. This is a challenge to us and the government.

    “There are other major challenges facing the health sector. Issue of low budget is one of them. Budgetary allocation to the sector is not enough if you compare it with what is given to the sector by other African countries.

    “The budgetary allocation to the sector this year is 4.13 %. With this you will agree with me that we are facing a major challenge.

    “The Eight National Assembly has taken health as a major agenda issue. We are ready at all times to review and amend existing laws and pass new ones to improve the healthcare services in Nigeria.”

     In his address, a former Director General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Prof. John Idoko, called on the Federal Government to modernize infectious disease surveillance to drive public health action.

    Prof. Idoko who delivered a keynote address titled: “Containing the spread of Infectious Diseases: How prepared are we? over 70 per cent of human pathogens originated from animals.

    The former NACA DG, who is also a Prof of Medicine and Consultant Physician at the University of Jos, called for the expansion of the role of public health and clinical laboratories in disease control and prevention.

    He said: “Over 70 per cent of human pathogens originated from animals. Of the 1,461 diseases now recognized in humans, approximately 60% are due to multi-host pathogens characterized by their movement across species lines.

    “We now stand at the precipice of health care transformation where disease prevention and health promotion in people, animals, and our environment have become a critical strategic need.

    “Expand the role of public health and clinical laboratories in disease control and prevention. Advance workforce development and training to sustain and strengthen public health practice. Advance policies to improve prevention, detection, and control of infectious diseases to help integrate clinical infectious disease preventive practices into healthcare;

    “Increase community and individual engagement in disease prevention efforts; Strengthen global capacity to detect and respond to outbreaks with the potential to cross borders.”

     

  • Nigeria’ll establish two consulates in Benin Republic, says Buhari  

    Nigeria’ll establish two consulates in Benin Republic, says Buhari  

    NIGERIA is to have two new consulates in Benin Republic, President Muhammadu Buhari has assured.

    He made the promise on Saturday night during a meeting with Nigerians residing in Benin Republic.

    According to the President, provisions will be made for the establishment of the consulates in next year’s budget if it passe through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    He said: “I think I will direct your ambassador to make the request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that by the time we are doing the next budget, it would be included.

    “Although we are trying to cut down on the number of ministries, the morale of Nigerians in the Diaspora must be considered.

    “This is because we are so many. We are aggressive whether in business or other facets of life. So, we, as a government will do everything possible to look after Nigerians wherever they are.”

    Stressing that it was customary of him to meet the representatives of Nigerian community wherever he goes and answer their questions, he said that he has always told Nigerians to respect their host’s culture and laws.

    He noted that there were a number of problems in South Africa which did not portray Nigerians in good light.

    “Some of them are in prison for committing a number of crimes. But for you who are so close home, you should do your best in being good ambassadors of the country,” he said.

    On whether there was any cooperation with Benin Republic towards fighting Boko Haram, he said: “Yes, they have identified with the countries of Lake Chad Commission which comprises of Cameron, Chad and Nigeria. He (Boni Yayi ) made an undertaking of providing a number of troops to join the Task Force troops of the Chad Basin Commission countries to fight the Boko Haram.

    “I will not mention the number of troops because it is a security issue. As you know, Nigeria is expected to make a bigger contribution.

    By yesterday (Friday), we are supposed to take the troops off the ground. So, Benin Republican through the President is participating in fighting Boko Harm.”

    Answering the question on what the Federal Government was doing to facilitate the return of those who may so wish, the President said: “I believe a lot of you are doing well and are better off here. So, the question of facilitating your coming home does not arise.

    “We don’t want you to come back home and be unemployed. Don’t come and add to our problems. If you have something doing here please continue doing it.”

    Towards opening a campus of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Benin Republic, he urged them to pass a formal letter through the ambassador who will write the ministry of education.

    “And I think the possibility of expanding the facility may be examined,” he stated

    On how the government will assist to improve their businesses, he said: “I think what the government can do is through your ambassador. If the embassy sends a report from your representatives, I believe the ministry of commerce and industry will examine it and whichever suggestion they raise, the Federal Government will look at them.

    “The Federal Government here in Nigeria will ensure that people don’t just earn their salaries but that they do exactly what they are paid for,” he said.