The Calabar Study Centre of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Calabar, Cross River State, has paid a visit to the state’s Head of Service, Mr.Timothy Akwaji, in continuation of its advocacy campaign.
The delegation, led by the centre director, Prof. Onyeka Iwuchukwu, visited the Head of Service on February 3, 2022, and thanked him for the opportunity given to the team to present the programmes offered by the university to the personnel of the government establishments.
Iwuchukwu explained to her audience that the mandate of NOUN is to take university education to all who desire it; adding that the university has a second chance benefit for Nigerians.
As such, she explained, NOUN provides opportunity for those who may have thought that they have lost their chances of acquiring university qualification.
The director pointed out that some of the advantages of studying at NOUN included learning flexibility and cost effectiveness.
Iwuchukwu, however, lamented that although Calabar Study Centre was one of the earliest centres of the university, it had little to show for it in terms of students enrollment and infrastructure.
She expressed her determination to leave the centre better than she met it especially in the areas of increase in enrollment and service delivery.
While welcoming the NOUN delegation, Mr. Akwaji thanked Iwuchukwu for initiating the visit and confessed that NOUN is not visible in the state.
He promised to join in the university's advocacy campaign by helping the team reach out to other heads of establishments.
The Head of Service, however, requested that NOUN should design a curriculum that would meet the needs of civil servants bearing in mind learning relevance and civil servants income.
Akwaji cited agriculture and entrepreneurship as examples of programmes that NOUN should prioritise.
He encouraged his staff to take advantage of what NOUN offers and enroll at the university to upgrade themselves, promising to grant permission and support to such staff who so choose to enroll.
He also charged them to report any head of department who would refuse to permit a staff from pursuing his/her education at NOUN.
The Head of Service acknowledged that taking advantage of the learning opportunities offered by NOUN would have an added benefit to the staff and his establishment.
He, therefore, counseled the centre director to make use of the media to ensure that her advocacy message reaches a wider audience.
- Log in to post comments
- 74 views
