Urge students to embrace excellence, shun mediocrity

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, has charged the 25,517 newly matriculated students to strive for excellence and reject mediocrity in their academic pursuits.

The Vice-Chancellor stated this on Wednesday during the 30th matriculation ceremony of the university, which took place virtually across its study centres nationwide.

Speaking at his first matriculation ceremony since assuming office, Prof. Uduma emphasised the importance of accessible education and urged the new students to take ownership of their learning.

He said, “The future is not something that will happen to you. It is something you must build. Hence, NOUN stands on a simple but radical philosophical foundation: that education is not a privilege reserved for the few but a right that must be extended to all.

“Here, the boundaries that once defined who could learn and who could not are deliberately dismantled. Here, opportunity is not rationed; it is expanded. Wear this identity with confidence. You are not disadvantaged; you are strategically positioned. You are not secondary participants in the educational system; you are pioneers of its evolution. While others struggle to adapt to this model, you are already being shaped by it.”

The VC reiterated that the Open Distance Learning (ODL) mode of education in NOUN is no longer merely comparable to the conventional system but has become the preferred mode of learning.

He, however, disclosed that the new students were admitted into various undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes across different faculties, with 19,149 as undergraduate students and 2,194 in postgraduate diploma programmes, while 4,107 will be pursuing master’s degrees. Furthermore, 20 students were admitted for MPhil programmes, and 47 as doctoral candidates.

Prof. Uduma pointed out that the faculty distribution demonstrates the breadth of academic engagement within the institution: Management Sciences leads with 7,519 students, followed by Social Sciences with 5,933, Education with 3,526, Computing with 3,710, Health Sciences with 3,046, Science with 759, Arts with 704, Agricultural Sciences with 302, and Law with 18.

He said, “Each of these numbers is not merely statistical; it is human. It represents ambition where there was once doubt, determination where there was once limitation, and hope where there was once uncertainty.”

He assured that NOUN is committed to providing quality education without barriers and encouraged students to utilise the university’s resources and support systems to achieve their academic goals.

The VC also emphasised the importance of integrity, discipline, and responsibility in the pursuit of knowledge and expressed confidence that the students would make a positive impact in their communities and contribute to national development.

Registrar of the university, Mr Oladipo Ajayi, administered the matriculation oath to the students, urging them to abide by all the university’s rules and regulations to avoid sanctions, which could include expulsion.

He noted that the 30th matriculation ceremony marked a significant moment in NOUN’s history, underscoring its position as a leader in ODL in Nigeria and West Africa.

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