President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered Vice-Chancellors of universities and all other heads of tertiary institutions to ensure full implementation of the new guidelines on financial management recently approved by the Federal government following the exception of lecturers from the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS).

He said the guidelines developed by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and approved by the Federal Executive Council meeting on the 26th of January 2024, would guarantee probity, good governance and proper financial management in public instititutions in the country.

Tinubu who is the Visitor, spoke at the 13th Convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), where he promised to strengthen the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode of education delivery in Nigeria.

A total of 22,175 students across undergraduate and postgraduate levels and diverse disciplines were graduated during the convocation ceremony.

The Convocation ceremony was preceded by the Investiture of the Oba of Benin, His Majesty Oba Ewuare II, as the new Chancellor of NOUN. His investiture was earlier scheduled to hold on Thursday least week but was shifted to Saturday because of the one day extension of public holiday for Eid el-Fitr celebration.

The Open University, also on Saturday conferred honorary doctorate degrees on two distinguished Nigerians, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma and Hajiya Hafsatu Abdulwaheed.

Chukwuma is a renowned entrepreneur and founder of Innoson Motors, one of Nigeria’s top automobile companies, while Hajiya Hafsatu who was the first female novelist in northern Nigeria, prominent activist and philanthropist.

Represented by Dr. Noel Biodun Saliu, Deputy Executive Secretary (Academics), National Universities Commission (NUC), President Tinubu also charged universities and other tertiary institutions to come up with research efforts that would help in addressing the challenges in Nigeria and globally.

Tinubu said: “At the Federal Executive Council meeting on 13th December, 2023, the Federal Government approved the policy for exempting lecturers educational institutions from IPPIS.

“Following this approval, the Federal Ministry of Education and its relevant stakeholders developed a guideline for good governance and proper financial management in all tertiary institutions in Nigeria, which the Federal Executive Council approved on the 26th of January 2024.

“Having circulated the circular or the guidelines, all tertiary education institutions are enjoined to ensure full implementation to guarantee that good governance and proper financial management are enshrined in our instititutions of higher learning,” he said.

He reiterated that education forms the integral part of the current administration’s renewed hope and agenda and as such government would continue to provide the needed support towards making the educational institutions nationally relevant and globally competitive.

He congratulated Dr Innocent Chukwuma and Hajia who were conferred with honorary doctorate degree awards. He also congratulated the students and told them to be good ambassadors of NOUN any wherever they found themselves.

Speaking on the effort to improve quality, access and affordability of higher education, Tinubu noted that available statistics have shown that the deployment of the open and distance learning approach, particularly in the tertiary education sub sector is the major link to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SGD 4) by the year 2030.

“This administration will continue promote the open and distance learning approach as one of the strategies to improving access to higher education.

“Government is therefore, committed, through the federal ministry of education and NUC to provide the enabling environment to ensure a good delivery of this mode of education in Nigeria.”

Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Professor Olufemi Peters, said a total of 22,175 students were graduated across undergraduate and postgraduate levels and diverse disciplines.

He explained that out of the figure 15,768 achieved undergraduate qualification, while 6,407 earned postgraduate qualifications.

Giving further breakdown, Peters said at the undergraduate level, a total of 22 graduated with a first-class; 1,885 with second class (upper division), 8,434 with second class (lower) division, 3786 with third class, and 169 with Pass degrees.

“Of the 6,407 students, who graduated at the postgraduate levels, 2,362 students obtained the Postgraduate Diploma, 4,039 students, the Master degree and 6 students obtained the PhD degrees.

“I am also happy to announce that 4 of the doctoral graduates are from our flagship World Bank assisted Africa Centre for Excellence for Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL).

“The Centre offers MSc and PhD programmes in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, and Management Information System (MIS). Through our IT-driven Open and Distance eLearning (ODeL) system, these graduates have acquired essential ICT skills that are indispensable and will undoubtedly propel them toward success in their future endeavours,” he stated.

The Vice-Chancellor revealed that since inception, NOUN has provided scholarships to about 83 inmates in Correctional Centres, exemplified by a current PhD student in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution.

Olufemi Peters said: “Our dedication to the University’s mission is unwavering. We take pride in offering education that is both flexible and qualitative, yet affordable and accessible.”

Oba Ewuare II, on his part, said as he stepped into the role of Chancellor, he was acutely aware of the weight of responsibility that accompanies it.

“My vision for the National Open University of Nigeria is one of excellence, innovation, and inclusivity. It is my fervent aspiration to leverage my position as a traditional ruler to enhance the fortunes of this esteemed institution,” he said. (Nigerian Tribune)

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