58 prison inmates from 14 correctional facilities across the country have graduated from the National Open University of Nigeria, (NOUN) and would be awarded degrees.
Seven of the inmates studied at the post graduate degree level.
The Vice Chancellor of NOUN, Professor Olufemi Peters stated this at a media briefing ahead of the University’s 12th Convocation in Abuja.
Professor Peters said the inmates studied under the University’s scholarship to make them better citizens for their reintegration into the society.
Professor Peters explained that the 58 inmates are among the over 28,740 grandaunts that would receive degrees at both undergraduate and post graduate level while 6 of the grandaunts secured first degree.
‘’This year is our 12th convocation and we are going to graduate 28,740 students, for both undergraduates and post graduates. We have 21,339 undergraduates, and 7401 post graduates. This is large, that is why we are established, to bring easy and quality education to Nigerians”
Professor Peters said the Vice Chancellor of the University of South Africa UNISA, Pretoria, in South Africa, Professor Puleng LenkaBula would deliver the pre-convocation lecture on ‘’Volatility and Opportunities in Higher Education.
According to Professor Peters ‘’Professor Puleng LenkaBula is the first woman Vice Chancellor of the University of South Africa that has been in existence for over 150 years.
She is a professor of ethics, an erudite scholar and extremely very intelligent. So it is for us at the National Open University big feet that we could bring somebody at that caliber, somebody who represent Open and Distance learning in Africa. That University produced Nelson Mandela and so many great men across the world’’
RN