NOUN: Prisoner bags Master’s degree, enrolls for PhD

National Open University of Nigeria, Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Adamu, has disclosed that a prison inmate will soon begin a doctorate programme in the institution.

Adamu spoke on Monday in Abuja at the opening of the 53rd Meeting and 30th Anniversary of the Committee of Deans of Post-Graduate Schools in Nigerian Universities.

According to Adamu, prison inmates and juvenile who are willing and qualified are given free education as part of NOUN’s corporate social responsibility.

He said: “We have 84 study centres, including the prisons; NOUN is the only university that allows prison inmates totally free education because that is the opportunity they have to learn.

“Right now, we have somebody who has finished his master’s degree and he is about to embark on PhD and he is still behind bars.

“We have juveniles who, for one reason or the other, are caught up and locked up.

“NOUN is the largest university in the West African sub-region and one of the biggest in the world with over 200,000 students.”

He said that NOUN complied with the National Universities Commission’s guidelines and had all its programmes duly accredited.

“Part of the major steps taken by the university management when I assumed office as vice-chancellor was to bring all our programmes in tandem with the regulatory ambiance of NUC.

“With that, therefore, it would be unfair for any institution under the supervision of the same commission to deny recognition of NOUN certificates and deny our products opportunities for postgraduate studies.

“I therefore urge you (deans) to draw attention to all the deans in your respective faculties to this challenge faced by our products in their pursuit of postgraduate studies.”

NOUN To Graduate 12 First Class, 5,975 Other Students

Twelve students of the  National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) have bagged first class honours while 5,975 students  would be awarded various degree certificates in its forthcoming 6th convocation ceremony on Saturday in Abuja.

Speaking during a press briefing ceremony last weekend ahead of the  NOUN convocation ceremony, the  Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdallah Adamu said the university has 224,000 students out of which 5,975 will be graduating at the event adding that the graduands spread across the eight faculties of the institution.

The NOUN VC said prisoners who want to study at the university would not be charged tuition fees.

“If a prisoner wants to study in noun, it is free of charge. We feel while they are there, they should not be denied education. But once he or she is out of prison they will pay,” he said.

The VC also disclosed that the law establishing the university was going to be amended to address the contentious issue of its law programme and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) entrance.

According to him, the National Assembly would be holding a public forum to expunge the phrase which said the university will provide knowledge through ‘correspondence’ and replaced it with ‘Open Distance Learning (ODL).’

“The Senate will hold public hearing on the law upholding NOUN on Monday 16th January, to make amendments on the provision of law school and when that is expunged after second and third reading, we are home-free.

“Part of the essence of the public hearing is to erase the concept that NOUN is part time. No, we are not part time. So if we emphasise that we are full time, then the barriers of NYSC will be moved away. NYSC will listen to us.”

He said law students from the university would attend law schools and graduates would soon be mobilized for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) after the amendment.

“I can conveniently tell you everybody is worried about our students not being admitted into the Nigerian law school,” Adamu said.

He said the university had reduced the incidences of missing results after developing its own independent web portal following the termination of the agreement with an IT company that developed and managed the previous portal.