The National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN has expressed commitment toward providing excellent learning opportunities for correctional inmates across the federation to ensure justice and quality reformation for growth and development of the country.
Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Olufemi Peters stated this during the 21st matriculation ceremony of Inmates at the medium security custodial study centre, newly admitted into the national open university of Nigeria, NOUN in Kaduna.
Represented by the director, Kaduna Correctional Study Centre Dr. Aminu Umar, the Vice Chancellor explained that NOUN has registered 15000 inmates across correctional custodial centres into various courses in the university during the current semester.
According to Prof. Peters, NOUN remains the largest in Africa, and the only accredited single mode Open and Distance Learning, ODL Institution in Nigeria.
He expressed the determination of the university toward ensuring that, the newly admitted students were provided with excellent learning environment with a view to making their study rewarding and satisfactory.
In the area of learning contents and Service delivery, Olufemi Peters said facilities were being upgraded with state of the art methodology and innovation in line with information and communication technology to make learning and teaching flexible.
The Vice Chancellor of NOUN further pointed out that, a ticketing system has been developed to address students request and complaints across the 103 study centres to ensure quality service delivery in the areas of online facilitation, portal access to information, and learning contents delivery, as well as computer based examination and assessment.
In a keynote address, controller of correction, kaduna command CC. Umar Audu who congratulated the newly admitted students, said one of the focal point of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019 was effective Reformation of offenders through access to quality education and vocational training.
Audu implored the newly admitted students from the medium security custodial study centre, kaduna to be committed to their studies, which he said was in line with the policy direction of the service under the leadership of CGC. Haliru Nababa.
The controller explained that, the service in collaboration with the small scale shoe making industry, foot servers had trained thirty inmates, while another thirty are currently undergoing training in carpentry, welding, tailoring and barbing.
Climax of the matriculation ceremony was oath taking by the students who were admitted into different programmes at the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN.
Daniel Karlmax
