NOUN Convocation 2026: Tinubu Backs Open Learning as Answer to Admission Pressure

President Bola Tinubu has said open and distance learning offers Nigeria a practical way to deal with the long-running university admission crisis. Speaking at the 15th convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, he said the university is helping close the gap between the huge number of admission seekers and the few spaces in regular universities.

The point came through clearly; with more than two million candidates sitting the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination each year, only a small share gains admission. That leaves a large number of qualified Nigerians outside the tertiary system.

Tinubu, represented by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, said NOUN has shown that higher education can reach more people without lowering academic standards.

Why Tinubu pointed to NOUN

At the convocation, Tinubu described NOUN as a direct response to the pressure on university admission in Nigeria. He said the school’s learning model has widened access for people who may struggle to fit into the usual campus route.

He listed workers, women, entrepreneurs, security personnel and others whose age, job, location or personal situation might block regular study. That was the Heart of the message; learning has to meet people where they are.

Groups NOUN is reaching

Tinubu praised the university’s work with security agencies, which lets personnel improve their qualifications while still in service. He also praised its link with the Nigerian Correctional Service, which gives inmates access to study.

He described the prison education effort as a strong sign of commitment to rehabilitation and reintegration. Education, in that setting, becomes a route to a second chance.

The graduation figures from the 15th convocation

More than 24,000 students graduated at the ceremony. The numbers are Hard to miss:

• 17,474 undergraduate degree holders
• 1,788 postgraduate diploma recipients
• 5,282 master’s degree graduates
• 31 doctoral degree awardees

Among the graduating class were 57 First Class students. The list also included 57 inmates who earned first degrees through the university’s correctional education programme.

Tinubu’s wider education message

Tinubu said the Federal Government remains committed to changes in the education sector that will widen access, raise quality and deepen the use of technology in learning.

He mentioned the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, and investment in medical and STEM programmes as part of that effort. He also urged the graduating students to use what they had learned with integrity and for national development.

Oba Ewuare II’s call on NYSC

The Chancellor of the university and Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, used the occasion to call for the removal of barriers stopping eligible NOUN graduates from taking part in the National Youth Service Corps scheme.

That request adds another layer to the wider discussion around access and equal treatment for graduates of the open university system.

NOUN’s five-year plan for 2026 to 2031

The Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, unveiled a five-year strategic plan for 2026 to 2031. He said the plan is aimed at moving the university into a leading position in open and distance learning.

According to him, the plan will focus on three main areas:

• expanding access to education
• strengthening digital infrastructure
• boosting research output

He said the main idea behind the plan is simple; education must be accessible and meaningful.

Digital systems and study delivery

Uduma said the university has improved fibre optic connectivity across its study centres. He also said its systems have moved to Amazon Web Services.

He added that NOUN now runs the largest Moodle-based learning management system in West Africa, serving more than 180,000 active users and delivering over 2,000 courses each semester.

Physical facilities across study centres

The Vice-Chancellor also pointed to growth in physical facilities. He listed new academic buildings, laboratories, roads and student accommodation across several study centres nationwide.

That mix of digital and physical growth gives a fuller picture of where the university says it is headed.

What stood out at the convocation

The event carried two clear themes. One was access; the other was scale. Tinubu used NOUN as an example of how higher learning can reach more Nigerians, while the university used the convocation to show its current size, its student numbers and its next plan.

For readers tracking admission pressure, distance learning and university growth, those details matter.

Share This Post: If this post helped you, share it with others! Use the buttons below to spread the word!