Abeokuta, Nigeria — Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has defended the integrity of programmes run by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), insisting that the institution is not inferior to any other university in the country.
Obasanjo made this assertion on Monday while receiving a delegation from NOUN at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta. The team, led by Professor Ganiyat A. Adesina-Uthman, Director of NOUN’s Directorate of Advancement and Linkages (DAL), included members of the NOUN Alumni Association (NOUNAA) and representatives of the Olusegun Obasanjo Centre for African Studies (OOCAS).
The former president, who played a key role in establishing NOUN during his time in office and later earned a PhD in Christian Theology from the institution, said he was proud that the university was fulfilling its founding vision.
“I noticed some gaps in our education system — even with the number of federal, state, and private universities in the country. That’s why the Open University became a necessity, providing more opportunities, especially for working-class citizens,” Obasanjo explained.
Tracing the history of Nigeria’s university system, Obasanjo noted that the University of Ibadan was the nation’s sole university for about a decade, followed by a second generation of federal institutions such as the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Port Harcourt; and Ahmadu Bello University. The third wave included state universities and later private institutions.
“Despite all these, the gaps in access to education kept widening. The Open University was established to help close those gaps,” he said.
Addressing critics who once dismissed NOUN as an inferior institution, Obasanjo stated: “I was not discouraged. I said, let me go there and experience it myself. I enrolled, I saw, and I conquered. The distinguished lecturers who supervised my PhD also supervise students in other top universities. If my PhD is not inferior, then NOUN is certainly not inferior. The university has come to stay.”
Professor Adesina-Uthman praised NOUN’s contribution to human capital development in Nigeria and across Africa. “NOUN is helping Nigeria meet international standards for manpower and is also playing a significant role in training professionals from neighbouring countries,” she said.
The President of NOUNAA, Ambassador Ifeanyi Obikelu, also highlighted the alumni association’s progress. “We have made great strides in advancing both the association and the personal development of our members,” he said.
Established to expand access to higher education, NOUN continues to play a pivotal role in Nigeria’s efforts to create a more inclusive and knowledge-based economy.
