During his address at the 13th convocation ceremony of the National Open University (NOUN) on Saturday, President Bola Tinubu announced that NOUN graduates will now be eligible to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the Nigerian Law School. This decision comes after a longstanding issue regarding the admittance of NOUN graduates, particularly those with Law degrees, into these programs.
In 2017, the former vice chancellor of NOUN, Abdallah Adamu, had informed graduates that they would soon be able to participate in the NYSC and the Nigerian Law School. However, due to the National University Commission’s law, which did not allow part-time students to participate in the NYSC, NOUN graduates were initially ineligible.
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt had previously dismissed a lawsuit by NOUN Law graduates seeking admission into the Nigerian Law School. In response to this, Tinubu has now directed the Ministry of Education to include NOUN graduates in the NYSC scheme and resolve the issue of NOUN Law graduates’ admittance to the Law School.
The president emphasized the importance of allowing NOUN graduates to participate in the NYSC, given the changing demographics of the nation. He also noted that the Law School doors are now open to NOUN graduates, ensuring equal opportunities for all. Any concerns or uncertainties should be addressed promptly by the Federal Ministry of Education.
Tinubu further expressed his administration’s commitment to enhancing Open and Distance Education (ODL) to expand access to higher education across the nation. He highlighted the crucial role of ODL in shaping the nation’s educational framework and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving educational goals through ICT.
