Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has reiterated the academic credibility of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), insisting that the institution is not inferior to traditional universities in the country.
Obasanjo made this assertion on Monday when he received a delegation from NOUN during a courtesy visit and an alumni award presentation at his residence.
Sharing his personal experience as a graduate of the institution, the former president stated that his academic journey through NOUN gave him insight into its high standards.
“Some people rose up saying an open university is inferior to non-open universities, but I was not discouraged,” Obasanjo said.
“I said, let me go there and have a taste of what they’re saying is inferior. Then I came in, I saw, and I conquered.”
Recalling the evolution of tertiary education in Nigeria, Obasanjo noted that the country initially operated with only the University of Ibadan for about a decade, followed by the establishment of second-generation federal and state universities, and eventually private universities.
Despite these expansions, he emphasized that a gap still existed in providing higher education to a broader population, particularly for working-class citizens. This gap, he said, necessitated the establishment of NOUN.
“Despite the availability of universities, we were still not coping; the gaps kept getting wider. That was why I said the Open University is a necessity it created more avenues and made it convenient for working-class citizens,” he added.
Highlighting the quality of academic mentorship at NOUN, Obasanjo disclosed that his PhD was supervised by two distinguished lecturers who had also mentored numerous other students.
“If they supervised me successfully, then my PhD wouldn’t be inferior. So, if mine isn’t inferior and those before me are not inferior, National Open University has come to stay,” he declared.
“At some point, we were more than half a million students, and we are still growing.”
The former president also assured the visiting officials of his continued support for the institution.
Speaking earlier, Prof. Ganiyat Adesina-Uthman, Director of the Directorate of Advancement and Linkages (DAL) at NOUN, described the university as a transformative force not only in Nigeria but across Africa.
“NOUN is not just a federal university, but one of its kind in Africa and the largest on the continent,” she stated.
She explained that the university was established to help Nigeria meet global standards in human capital development and also support neighboring African countries in achieving sustainable, knowledge-based economies.
Prof. Adesina-Uthman called on Obasanjo to assist with scholarships for students enrolled in flagship programmes and outlined key infrastructural needs of the university.
‘We need scholarships for some of our flagship programmes, including Entrepreneurship Studies, Criminology and Security Studies, Mass Communication, Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, and support for Indigenous Students,” she appealed.
“We also want our Advancement and Linkages building named after the donor; a University Hospital; a 50-room guest house; a 1,000-capacity auditorium, and support for our host communities such as customized textbooks and uniforms, clean water, and toilet facilities.”
Also present was Prof. Wilfred Ngwuanyi, Director of the Olusegun Obasanjo Centre for African Studies at NOUN, who praised the former president’s commitment to intellectual excellence and African development.
Ngwuanyi appealed to Obasanjo for assistance in fostering collaboration between the Centre and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the areas of research and publication. He also sought support in partnering with the Chinese embassy for the establishment of a Chinese Cultural Centre at the university.
