The National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, was initially established on 22 July 1983 as springboard for Open and Distance Learning, ODL, in Nigeria. It was suspended by the government on 25 April 1984. However, its restoration was begun on the 12th of April 2001 by the former President of Nigeria, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo. At the take- off of the university, pioneer student enrollment stood at 32,400.
Organisation
In 2011, NOUN had about 57,759 students. The Vice-Chancellor at the time was Prof. Vincent Tenebe .The University was for years operating from its Administrative Headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos, before its current V-C, Professor Abdalla Adamu, moved it to its permanent headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, in 2016. It has over 75 Study Centres throughout the country. It offers over 50 programs and 750 courses.
By its nature as an ODL institution, NOUN does not provide lectures to students in normal classrooms except some certain study centres. The study centre in Lagos for instance provides lectures to all its Law undergraduates and supplies necessary course materials to all students after the payment of tuition fees. All the courses being offered by the university have been accredited by the National Universities Commission, NUC.
The Registrar serves as the Secretary to the Council and Senate bodies. The Registry Department’s primary responsibility is to provide support services in the General Administration of the university with emphasis on Council affairs, Senate matters, recruitment of staff, students’ admission/welfare, Staff Welfare and other related activities. The current Registrar is Mr. Felix Edoka.
There is hardly any faculty available in any Nigerian university that the NOUN does not have.
Requirements –
A diverse range of students from all walks of life are attracted to the National Open University of Nigeria just like other prominent Open Universities such as the Open University of United Kingdom (OU); for most courses there are no stringent entry requirements other than the ability to study at an appropriate level such as the West African Examination, and other National Diplomas to qualify for a Direct entry admission. Most postgraduate courses require evidence of previous study and/or equivalent life experience. This fundamental open admissions policy makes undergraduate university study accessible to all.
Undergraduates
While most of those studying are mature students, an increasingly large proportion of new undergraduates are aged between 17 and 25, the reduction in financial support for those attending traditional universities, coupled with the use of technologies such as Facebook and YouTube that appeal to this demographic, is believed to be behind this growth.
Another reason is the Act of Parliament which established the University prohibiting any form of union either within staff or students. This has made the NOUN to be unaffected by strikes such as the ASUU strikes (which lasted for eight months) in Nigeria which ultimately extends students course duration in school unnecessarily. NOUN students have always and will continue to be immune to any form of strike.
