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matriculates 23,885 students for new academic session
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has declared that Open and Distance Learning (ODL) represents the future of higher education, as the institution matriculated 23,885 newly admitted students for the 2026/2027 academic session.
Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, made the declaration on Wednesday during NOUN’s 31st matriculation ceremony, which was held virtually across its study centres nationwide.
A statement by the Acting Media and Publicity Officer of NOUN, Omotola Ojudu, said the newly matriculated students comprised 17,471 undergraduates, 1,967 Postgraduate Diploma students, 4,333 Master’s students, 10 MPhil/PhD students and 104 PhD candidates.
Uduma said the increasing adoption of ODL by conventional universities, alongside the growing number of young Nigerians deliberately choosing NOUN, demonstrated that higher education was moving towards greater flexibility, accessibility, technology-driven learning and learner autonomy.
He said NOUN was founded on the principle that geographical location, time, employment, family responsibilities and other barriers should not determine access to quality university education.
According to him, the growing acceptance of ODL by conventional universities through the establishment of distance learning centres and dual-mode academic systems was a validation of the vision upon which NOUN was established.
“When conventional universities increasingly embrace ODL, they are, in a very real sense, validating the vision that NOUN embraced long ago. NOUN did not wait for the future to arrive before preparing for it. NOUN saw tomorrow before many others saw it,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor said NOUN’s decades of experience, established learner-support systems and expertise in delivering education across geographical and social boundaries gave it an advantage as ODL continued to expand in the country.
He stressed that the emergence of more institutions in the ODL space should be seen as an affirmation of NOUN’s pioneering role rather than a threat.
Uduma also noted a significant shift in the university’s student population, with more young Nigerians opting for NOUN because of its flexibility, technological orientation and ability to combine education with work and other responsibilities.
He said ODL was no longer being viewed merely as an alternative route to university education, but increasingly as a deliberate choice by learners seeking quality education within a flexible environment.
The Vice-Chancellor urged the new students to take their studies seriously by participating in facilitation classes, completing their Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs), using the Learning Management System (LMS) and seeking assistance whenever necessary.
He also charged them to cultivate discipline, intellectual curiosity and integrity, stressing that university education should go beyond certificates to the development of critical thinking, problem-solving skills and ethical leadership.
Uduma assured the students and their parents that the university would continue to strengthen its learner-support structures, including counselling services, information and call-support systems and student welfare initiatives.
Meanwhile, the Registrar of the university, Mr Oladipo Ajayi, administered the matriculation oath to the students via Zoom and urged them to abide by the institution’s rules and regulations to avoid expulsion.
He said the ceremony formally welcomed the 23,885 students into the NOUN community, and marked the beginning of their academic journey in Nigeria’s foremost dedicated Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institution.
