Tinubu promises to improve access to education through distance learning

President Bola Tinubu on Saturday assured Nigerians that his administration would continue to promote Open and Distance Learning (ODL) to improve access to higher education in the country.

He gave the assurance at the 13th Convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) on Saturday in Abuja.

Tinubu, who was represented at the event by the Deputy Executive Secretary, the National Universities Commission (NUC), Dr. Biodun Saliu, said the deployment of the ODL approach in tertiary education was the major link to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

He said: “We will continue to do this in order to improve quality, access and affordability.

“Government is, therefore, committed through the Federal Ministry of Education and the NUC to provide the enabling environment to ensure a good delivery of this mode of education in Nigeria.”

The Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Olufemi Peters, said the university had maintained its leadership role in promoting ODL across the African continent.

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This, Peters said, necessitated the re-election of the institution as the 1st Vice-President on the Board of the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE) during the seventh Triennial Conference and General Assembly held in Kenya.

He said: “The university continues to contribute significantly to Open and Distance e-Learning (ODeL) initiatives. The ACDE is a continental and leading organisation of African universities in ODeL and other higher educational institutions.

“We take pride in offering education that is both flexible and qualitative, yet affordable and accessible.

“We prioritise equity and equal opportunities in education at the university level, striving to widen access and promote lifelong learning.

“Since inception, NOUN has provided scholarships to about 83 inmates in correctional centres, exemplified by a current PHD student in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution.

“From a very humble beginning, the university has grown in leaps and bounds. We have brought smiles to many people who had thought university education was beyond them. Our student enrolment figures have increased.

“Our programme offerings have also increased. From about 1,230 students in 2003, the student population has now grown to about 170,000 active students in 2024 and over 100,000 alumni, straddling important sectors of our economy.”

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