5 July 2009
Lagos — Two thousand students were yesterday in Lagos formerly admitted into the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) for the 2008/2009 academic session.
The Matriculation ceremony, the fourthin the series, was conducted simultaneously nationwide at the 35 study centres.
In his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede, said the admission of students into the various centres for the academic session had raised the students population to about 100,000.
Jegede, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Dr Femi Peters, said that studying at a distance, as obtains at the National Open University, was demanding and strenuous, "as against what obtains in the conventional mode".
"We are trying to place all our operations within the e-learning platform.
"We have already concluded arrangements for all examinations to be e-examination, as well as assignments, counseling and even graduation," he said.
He said the young university was faced with many teething problems, noting, however, that all hands are on deck to address them.
Jegede said many people did not get admitted into conventional institutions of higher learning because of limited space. "This leaves them with the option of going into the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system, which had impacted so much in the lives of those who had passed through it."
"We want to appeal to the various state governments to assist the various study centres in the provision of facilities and infrastructure, in order to fast tract our dream of educating the Nigerian masses as well as bringing education closer to their door step," he said.
The vice chancellor called on the matriculating students to bring out "their ingenuity in time management and discipline, as well as strive to forego the many attractions they were used to, so as to achieve their set goals in life".
The Lagos study centre manager, Mr Kehinde Obidairo, urged the matriculating students to be dedicated to their studies and see the challenges they might face in the course of their study as a stepping stone for higher grounds.
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