Seven Inmates Matriculate into NOUN Degree Programmes in Lafia

 In a major initiative aimed at promoting rehabilitation and personal transformation through tertiary education, seven inmates at the Lafia Medium Security Custodial Centre in Nasarawa State have formally matriculated into various degree programmes of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). 

The special matriculation ceremony, held on Friday, May 8, 2026, within the facility premises, marks a significant milestone in the institution's strategic mandate to deliver flexible and accessible higher education to all categories of learners, irrespective of social or legal status. 

In his official address, the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Professor Uduma Oji Uduma, exhorted the matriculants to maintain focus and academic determination, emphasizing that temporary institutional confinement must not restrict their future potential. 

Represented by the Director of the NOUN Lafia Study Centre, Mrs. Rhoda Ezhim, the Vice-Chancellor reiterated the university's ongoing deployment of its Open and Distance Learning (ODL) framework to dismantle educational barriers. This model, he noted, empowers marginalized individuals from diverse backgrounds to fulfill their academic ambitions and reintegrate into society as productive citizens. 

The statutory oath of matriculation was administered on behalf of the University Registrar, Mr. Oladipo Ajayi, by the Assistant Registrar of the Lafia Study Centre, Haruna Abubakar Saeed. Saeed charged the newly admitted students to uphold institutional ethics and act as ambassadors of positive societal reform.