The Open University system, according to Prof. Vincent Ado Tenebe remains the best option of educating the people especially now that our conventional method can no longer accommodate people that are seeking for education. It is a system through which qualitative education can reach the masses in a flexible and affordable way and most economical. This claim was made during an interactive session with the press at the Nigerian Union of Journalists Press Centre, Kaduna. Open and distant learning method, the university Don who was accompanied by members of his board emphasized has successfully been used in countries like China and India who are known to be very populous nations in educating their citizens. China for instance was reported to have used the system in educating 500million people within the period of 15 years. He said that the National Open University of Nigeria happens to be the only Open University in West Africa which is the most populous region in the whole of Africa.
An Act of the National Assembly on the establishment of the National Open University in 1981 never saw the light during the regime of former Head of State, Alhaji Shehu Shagari as a result of military take over. It was resuscitated in 2002 with the coming back of President Obasanjo in a civilian robe. The fire brand VC said because of the university’s mode of learning which gives room for ‘full time work and full time study’ coupled with its entrepreneurship advantage, the system remains the best and convenient method of learning. According to the Prof. who within less than three years of being on board is said to have made it possible for the initial unaccredited courses of the institution to be a thing of the past, the institution’s strive for excellence remains unshaken. The National Open University of Nigeria which came into being in the year 2003, the Prof. intimated has carved a niche in terms of excellence as the recent rating stands it as No. 7 amongst the universities in Nigeria and No 86 out of 100 universities in Africa while the recent 2012 rating places it 11th out of the whole universities in Africa.
What more, former President Obasanjo was a one time student of National Open University of Nigeria, though very stubborn student but very brilliant, said the VC as he rolled out the benefits accrued to the Open University system. Excerpts…
Obasanjo did a Post Graduate Diploma in Christian theology. I will tell you and I will not hide it that he was a very troublesome student because he will not start talking until 12midnight and he will keep you on-line until about 2am and every time he gave us trouble. We prayed that he graduates and he graduated. His certificate is valid. I want to tell you that my personal conversation with President Obasanjo, he told me, “Prof., if I had known, I wouldn’t have started this course because I don’t know why I am giving myself headache again.” When he came to write examination, the VC then went to invigilate him because then I was the deputy vice chancellor administration. He came with a blue biro, a black biro, a red biro, a ruler and a math set and we wanted to give him a special seat and he said no, I want to sit among the students. I want to do the same thing as the students. And so it was. I must confess, he was a very brilliant student and I tell you there was a lot of controversies when his papers were being marked. We have a way of marking our papers. The markers would never know who they are marking. Our papers are marked from Port-Harcourt to Lagos, to Kano, to Maiduguri and so on. I must confess he did brilliantly well and I can tell you that ‘the old man is very intelligent’. He has a valid certificate because everything was done according to the rules and regulations of the Nigerian university. One thing I would like to mention is that when Obasanjo became a student, he thought it was an easy thing to do while a President. When he was given all the courses and other things, he realized that he couldn’t do it then so he deferred his admission and said ‘I am not going to take part in this until I have finished my tenure as president.’ So it was. I want to inform you that our programme is full time and not part-time as many people term it to be. And the good thing about it is that you study at your own pace. One can even walk into an exam hall and on finding it difficult to participate in writing the examination might decide to defer it. So you see our programme because of our flexible mode, we allow you to work. You work full time, you study full time. Is like killing two birds with one stone. This is only possible with the Open University education which unfortunately is still very new to Nigeria and like it is to most parts of the world. So, people should know that there is an easy way to go through what they have assumed has been very difficult to achieve all these years.
How bright is the employment opportunity for students who passed through the Open University system?
Whether you like it or not, jobs are no longer available and it is not peculiar to only Nigeria. It is all over the world and the reason is quite clear. People have already occupied the positions for number of years and you are not going to push them out because you have new graduates. So, what it means is that we have to think. We have to be innovative. Open University system is tailored towards education that can qualify you to have something doing as soon as you graduate because of our special entrepreneurial courses which gives you the required skills that can make you start an enterprise. Because of the experience our students have and the way they have been trained, I would tell you that our students would have advantage over others when it comes to appointment. As it is now, I bet you if a student from Open University seeks for an international job alongside a student from a conventional university that of Open University would be the one to get the job. This is because of the way our international counterparts think is different from the way we think in Nigeria. This is because international counterparts are looking for people they can give assignments to and would be able to work independently. Under minimal supervision and that is what Open and Distant Learning teaches. We give you our course material; you study on your own, come for examination and take the exam. You see, we are one of the universities with the least examination problems in terms of malpractice or cheating. In fact, you can even be allowed to sit with your classmate if you so wished during exam and be giraffing. You will be surprised that you will just fail. This, our students have realized. So, there is no victimization because you don’t even know whose paper you are marking. By the quality of our certificate, our students are well recognized. When we graduated our students this year, on-the-spot certificate were given to the graduating students which impressed the Minister Education, Prof. Rukyahtu Ahmed Rufai to make a pronouncement on behalf of President Jonathan that henceforth, any university that is not ready to give certificate, would not be allowed to do convocation.
What are the criteria needed to be a student and how does one get enrolled into the university?
It is very simply. You can get our form in any of these banks. Zenith Bank, Eco Bank or Skye Bank. What you simply do is you go on-line and do your registration and even the admission is on-line. We are not using these courses only for those who have not been to the university or those who have not acquired their degrees. Even if you have PHD, BSC, MSC or whatever qualification you have, we can give you a skill acquisition that can make you start an enterprise. Before you know it, you will become an employer of labour instead of seeking for job.
We offer various courses for different cadres of people. We offer courses in Journalism, even in law, I have 5 VCs from other universities who are in 200 levels together with an experience in this university. So, the sky is our limit.
We are trying also to reach all the corners of this country. To ensure that we take education to the doorsteps of everybody. In fact, we are taking education into the prison yards. I want to also inform you that the National Open University (NOUN) is even starting a programme now where we are going to take education to the women in purdah. We intend taking education to market women and farmers right in their farms.