New Ogori centre director takes advocacy campaign to community heads, radio station

Acting Director of the Ogori Community Study Centre, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Kogi State, Mr. Oluwafemi Apata, has marked his assumption of office with series of advocacy campaigns to help reposition the centre for more growth and development. 

The director and his team visited two paramount chiefs of the community, former director of the centre, Jatto FM station, among others all in a bid to increase students’ enrollment.

Their first point of visit was the former director of the centre, Dr. Tony Alabi, to seek collaboration on ways to reposition the centre to attract more students’ enrollment and the growth from its present status.

Alabi, while welcoming them, expressed happiness and thanked them for the visit, pledging to support the centre in whichever capacity he can for its growth. 

On the other hand, the director and some senior staff of the centre also visited two paramount chiefs of the Ogori Community, H.R.H, Chief David Ojo Akande and H.R.H Chief S.K. Obajulu in their palaces. 

In the separate visits to the paramount chiefs, Apata emphasised the importance of education to the people of the community as well as NOUN’s role in taking education to the door steps of the people through the Ogori Study Centre.

According to him, the centre, which is in their midst, should be utilised by getting people of the community enrolled to improve on their educational status.

The director also used the occasion to seek for partnership with the chiefs and urged them to embark on advocacy drive that will increase the enrollment of students.  

In their separate responses, the chiefs gave their assurances of their supports through the community, promising to always be ready whenever the centre calls on them.

The team, in company of Nurse Achi Abdulmalik Ozigi, an alumnus of NOUN from the Centre, visited Engr. Edward Jatto, the owner of Jatto FM Radio based in Okene, for advocacy purpose.

While at the station, the director sought for Jatto’s support in creating awareness about the university using the radio station to support the centre in its drive to showcase the benefits of NOUN.  

On his part, Jatto acknowledged the importance of education to the people and expressed his readiness to help in using the station to create awareness about the university with a view to increasing the number of students’ enrollment.

In another development, the former Senior Special Assistant to the former state governor, Yahaya Bello, and a one-time Ogori-Magongo Local Government Chairman, Hon. Goke-Oparison, has paid a courtesy visit on the director, where he called for a partnership with the director for the progress of the centre.

The former chairman assured the centre of his support in the area of advocacy and to encourage the people to take advantage of what the university offers by getting enrolled.