The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) is set to honor two distinguished leaders at its 14th convocation ceremony on Saturday, April 12. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, and Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, will be conferred with honorary doctorate degrees for their contributions to society.
The announcement was made by NOUN’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Peters, during a pre-convocation press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday. He stated, “The University Joint Council/Senate Honorary Awards Committee has carefully considered and selected two distinguished personalities for honorary degrees.” Dr. Adesina will receive the Honorary Doctorate Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) (Honoris Causa), while Abbas will be awarded the Honorary Doctorate Degree of Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) (Honoris Causa).
Prof. Peters also revealed that Dr. Adesina is scheduled to deliver the convocation lecture on Friday, ahead of the graduation ceremony.
This year’s event will see a total of 17,420 students graduate, among whom 16 will earn first-class degrees. The graduating classes include 10,967 undergraduates, 6,413 postgraduates, and 40 PhD candidates. “I want to report that this is another opportunity for us to celebrate the academic achievements of our students. This is a remarkable growth from where we started about four years ago,” Prof. Peters noted.
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The breakdown of the graduating students includes 2,103 postgraduate diploma students and 4,310 master’s degree candidates. Among this cohort, 51 students from correctional centers will also graduate, comprising 41 undergraduates and 10 postgraduates.
Prof. Peters emphasized the university’s technological advancements in education, stating, “We are deploying technology to a great extent in the way we teach our students.” He discussed key reforms aimed at improving the university’s infrastructure and research funding, and reflected on his five-year tenure, expressing satisfaction with the impacts made particularly in education and research.
The forthcoming convocation ceremony not only marks a significant milestone for the graduates but also highlights NOUN’s commitment to excellence in education and societal contributions through the recognition of influential leaders.