NOUN VC Urges Tetfund To Consider University’s Peculiarities In Intervention Programmes

The Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, Professor Uduma Oji Uduma, has appealed to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, to factor in the peculiarities of the institution in subsequent intervention programmes.

Professor Uduma made the appeal while hosting members of the Board of Trustees of TETFund during a familiarisation visit to beneficiary institutions in the North Central zone.

The Vice-Chancellor noted that NOUN operates over 120 study centres spread across the country and currently provides free study scholarships to more than 500 inmates.

He added that with over 150,000 active students, the need to provide adequate infrastructure has placed an increasing burden on the University.

“It is therefore necessary for TETFund to reconsider these peculiarities in its funding template,” Professor Uduma said.

He explained that the mandate of NOUN is to break all barriers and provide quality, cost-effective tertiary education to all Nigerians, irrespective of location, through Open and Distance Learning, ODL.

Commending TETFund, the Vice-Chancellor acknowledged the Fund’s role in sustaining tertiary institutions in Nigeria through the provision of infrastructure.

“Sometimes I wonder what tertiary education in the country would be without the intervention of TETFund. Without TETFund, some of the impact NOUN is making would not have been possible in our over 120 study centres across the country,” he concluded.