The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has matriculated 25,517 students into various undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Speaking during the university’s 30th matriculation ceremony, Uduma Uduma, the vice-chancellor urged the new students to embrace excellence and shun mediocrity in their academic pursuits.
The matriculation ceremony was held virtually across study centres nationwide on April 8.
The VC emphasised the importance of accessible education and charged the newly admitted students to take ownership of their learning.
Uduma, who presided over his first matriculation ceremony since assuming office, described education as a right that must be accessible to all, noting that the institution was founded on the principle of expanding learning opportunities beyond traditional barriers.
“The future is not something that will happen to you—it is something you must build,” he said.
“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.”
He noted that the university’s open distance learning (ODL) model continues to reshape education delivery, adding that the system has evolved into a globally recognised and preferred mode of learning.
According to the vice-chancellor, the newly admitted students were distributed across multiple academic levels and faculties, reflecting the diversity of programmes offered by the institution.
He announced that 19,149 students were admitted into undergraduate programmes, 2,194 into postgraduate diploma programmes, and 4,107 into master’s degree programmes.
In addition, 20 students were admitted into master of philosophy (MPhil) programmes, while 47 students were admitted as doctoral candidates.
Uduma said the faculty distribution highlights strong participation across academic disciplines, with management sciences leading with 7,519 students, followed by social sciences with 5,933, education with 3,526, computing with 3,710, and health sciences with 3,046 students.
Other faculties include science with 759 students, arts with 704, agricultural sciences with 302, and law with 18 students.
“Each of these numbers is not merely statistical; it represents ambition where there was once doubt, determination where there was once limitation, and hope where there was once uncertainty,” he said.
The vice-chancellor reaffirmed the university’s commitment to providing quality education without barriers and encouraged students to utilise available resources and support systems to achieve their academic goals.
He also stressed the importance of discipline, integrity, and responsibility in academic pursuits, expressing confidence that the new students would contribute meaningfully to national development.
Uduma further highlighted the flexibility of the university’s learning model, noting that it enables students to balance academic activities with professional and personal responsibilities.
He reiterated that the institution continues to expand access to education for diverse groups, including workers, rural dwellers, and inmates in correctional centres.
Meanwhile, Oladipo Ajayi, registrar of the university, administered the matriculation oath to the students via the Zoom platform and advised them to adhere strictly to the university’s rules and regulations to avoid disciplinary actions.
The 30th matriculation ceremony marked another milestone in the university’s history, reinforcing its role as a leading institution in open and distance learning in Nigeria and across the West African sub-region.
