The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammed Musa Bello, has called on the management of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to give more publicity to the activities of the institution.
The minister stated this when he received NOUN’s presidential visitation panel, led by its chairman, Alhaji Isa Bello Sali in Abuja.
"With right publicity, it will become clearer that NOUN is a full-fledged quality University, we know you are, because you are residing in Abuja, but it’s important to make it clearer so as to distinguish your outreach from the not so reputable institutions."
Bello called on NOUN to leverage on its enormous potentials in boosting access to university education by reaching out to more Nigerians through a robust publicity system.
According to the minister, the founding father of the university needs to be commended for bringing about an institution with a unique concept.
He described NOUN as a university where faculty and students are separated because of distance but united through technology.
“We should be appreciative of what the founding fathers had done, this will tell you how far reaching and far looking ahead they are," the Minister said, adding that many within the FCT and its environs, have benefitted from NOUN's quality academic programmes.
NOUN, he said, is indisputably unique and the largest university in Nigeria, due to the large numbers of its students and study centres.
Speaking further, the FCT Minister urged the management of NOUN to encourage its students and faculty members to embark on appropriate research in areas that are relevant to its immediate host community.
“If you encourage them, it will help the administration because it will give us more expert opinion, but more importantly, it will give your student an opportunity to undertake more practical work that will guide them in their academic pursuit," he added.
He assured the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Peters and his team, that the ministry is willing to be of help to the institution and also ready to know more about NOUN, as well how the ministry can also benefit from NOUN.
Earlier in his speech, the leader of the delegation ,Alhaji Isa Bello Sali (CFR), while thanking the minister for finding time out of his very busy schedule to receive the delegation, highlighted the panel's terms of references.
“Our mission today, Hon. Minister, is to appraise you of what we are doing in the Headquarters of NOUN and to seek your advice and blessings as we set out to discharge the mandate given to us, " Alhaji Sali said.
According to the panel chairman, NOUN is a very unique university due to use of technology in delivery of its programmes, which is not obtainable in conventional universities.
He said NOUN boasts of 103 study centers spread across the country, of which five are located in the FCT, in addition to the headquarters of the university located in Jabi, Abuja.
“Confronted with the forgoing unique features, the panel took a different method in carrying out its assignment by saving the best for the last," Sali said.
Below is the Video link of the presidential panel visitation Panel to NOUN Courtesy visit to FCT Minister.
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