Saraki calls for strengthening of Open University

The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has called for the inclusion of Information Communication Technology (ICT) among courses offered by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Saraki said that if included, it would advance learning in the institution across the Nigeria. He made the call on Monday at the opening of a public hearing on “The National Open University Act amendment Bill 2016’’ organised by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TetFund, in Abuja. The President of the Senate, who was represented by the Chief Whip, Sen. Olushola Adeyeye, said that the amendment of the Act would strengthen the capacity of the university to deliver on its goal. He said that the pivotal role of higher education as an underlined principle of moral education could not be over-emphasised, adding that the major thrust of the amendment bill was to improve on the existing legislation. According to Saraki, studies have shown that increase in students’ exposure to ICT through curriculum integration has significant and positive impact on their achievements, especially in knowledge and comprehension of skills. “It is on this basis that the establishment of the National Open University in July, 1983 as a springboard for open and distance learning in Nigeria was conceived.’’ He said that the university as it was currently ran depended on virtual learning and students individual research hence the need for improvement and introduction of helpful learning tools as presented by ICT.He stated that so far, the success of the university was the most encouraging, adding that Nigerians must not lose sight of the fact that the global organisation of education was constantly evolving. Saraki explained that NOUN provided access and flexibility to those, who ordinarily would not have had the opportunity to get formal education. He therefore called for support from the legislators for the amendment of the bill. He also called for updating of laws and policies to give valuable support to Nigeria’s quest for improved quality learning. Earlier, Chairman of the Committee on Tertiary Education and TetFund, Sen. Jibrin Barau, said that the deployment of and penetration of ICT had eased the way of doing business and had modified the traditional means of communication. Barau explained that the introduction of a platform to provide online tuition as a method of instruction would bring efficiency and convenience in the Open University system. “As a foremost university that has brought education to the doorsteps of many individuals and has made learning easier for all, this amendment is apt, timely and in tune with the global best practices,” he said. He said that amendment of the bill would also help to reposition the institution for better services, and help in producing quality graduates for Nigeria. In his submission, Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Abdallah Adamu, said that the university was established to be technologically-driven. He said that though ICT had been incorporated in the new amendment, the biggest area of concern to the institution was the inclusion of “Correspondent’’ on the bill in reference to students of the school. “This gives the impression that we are not a full-time university, making us to be seen as part time. “They give us the impression of temporariness rather than permanence,” Adamu said. He disclosed that the institution had 78 study centres with a total of 254, 000 students’ enrolment across the country. “This is the only university that provides thousands of people opportunity to acquire university education without having to leave their work.” Adamu said that the new amendment should also include Open and Distance Learning (ODL) to clear the impression that the institution was not carrying out full-time programmes. Similarly, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Adamu Rasheed, said that the challenges of access to conventional Nigerian universities were not new to Nigerians. Rasheed, who was represented by Dr Olamide Adesuwa, Director, Open and Distant Education of NUC, said that the low percentage of admissions into universities in the country necessitated the establishment of the NOUN. According to him, global best practices in distance education have shown that it had moved from correspondence to leveraging on ICT. He explained that distant education was “mediated learning’’, and that it was powered by ICT. “Open and Distant Learning is not part-time; it is flexible mode of learning. “It has to be seen as such in order not to misconstrue the efforts of the students who rather than waste time after work, now invest all of the time in learning.” The executive secretary said that the commission was in support of amendment of the proposed amendment.