By Funmiilayo Adeyemi
Abuja: Al- Muhibbah Open University has matriculated 105 students across three faculties and 14 programmes.
At the Unveiling and Maiden Matriculation of the university on Friday in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman tasked the Proprietor and Chancellor of the institution, Dr Aisha Bala Muhammad to devise creative innovations for qualifications relevant to local communities.
According to the Minister, there is a need to open up the system for private sector participation in education to meet the educational yearnings of youths, given the large pool of students searching for university education.
“Open distance learning education is a relatively new frontier for us and that is the direction our tertiary education is moving.
“I know, as a fact, the (intake to) government owned open universities has risen to over 700,000 students, the largest in Africa and the pool of young men and women who are interested in education is unsearchable and very large.
“Certainly, the government cannot meet this demand.
“So it is appropriate that we open the system to the private sector who are really committed to the provision of this level of education.”
He, therefore, charged the National Universities Commission (NUC) and other regulatory agencies to come up with quality assurance mechanisms to strengthen open universities.
“What we have at the moment is largely focused on conventional institutions.
“As we strengthen this level of university education, the public must have the assurance that they deliver the quality programmes which they are given approval for.
“Secondly, one of the focus areas of this government is qualifications that are relevant to our local community.
“They must be relevant while having the same quality that will make you competitive in the international arena.
“How do you become relevant within the local frontier? It is by ensuring that you have programmes that embed in them skills which will make them readily employable or, better still, employers of Nigerians.
“This government is set and already working with corporate organs to build skill sets of Nigerians in the education sector right from primary schools to the university.
“The level we are now is such that we need more people with skills who will provide solutions to Nigerian problems.”
Mamman, while congratulating the matriculated students, charged them to adhere to the university’s regulations and contribute responsibly to the institution.
In her remarks, Chancellor of the university, Aisha Bala Muhammad said the university was established to create opportunities for more Nigerian women and the less privileged to attend higher education.
“I am committed to ensuring that the knowledge and skills we offer in Al-Muhibbah Open University will meet global best practices.
“Let me appreciate the cooperation and support of the National Universities Commission for reposing confidence in us and continuously supporting our equity.
“Our admission provides quality, affordable and accessible education.
“We shall uphold the established standard with relevant regulatory bodies and the university is committed and open to positive collaboration with government and non-governmental organisations.”
She also urged the students to obey the laws of the university while demonstrating good conduct.
“The university would not hesitate to punish students who violate the institution’s rules and regulations,” Mrs Muhammad.
In a goodwill message, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede congratulated the university’s chancellor for her efforts to meet the educational needs of the citizenry.
“I urge the university to abide by the constituted rules and regulations guiding their engagements,” Oloyede said.
Similarly, the Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki commended the university’s principal officers for the shared commitment to contribute to the enhancement of educational access broadening of equity.
Maiyaki explained that the commission, through a multi-stakeholders committee, recently embarked on a strategic exercise of reengineering university curriculum which led to the emergence of Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS).
“Curriculum is the main stay of any university development and the NUC, based on its core mandate, is expected, on a periodic basis, to review, update and reengineer Nigerian university curriculum to bring it up to speed.
“In our continued efforts to foster technology integration in our universities, the NUC recently consummated its guidelines for transnational education as well as open distance learning guidelines.
“Under these guidelines, foreign universities are now at liberty to take advantage of the six competitive models to come and play a role in expanding access,” Maiyaki said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the university is among the 37 private universities licenced nine months ago by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to operate open and distance learning in Nigeria.
The approved programmes are Business Administration, Economics, Accounting, International Relations, Marketing, Project Management and Entrepreneurship.
Others are Computer Science, Cyber Security, Software Engineering, Public Health, Nursing, Science, Data Science and analytics and Healthcare and Hospital Management.
The Bauchi State governor, Bala Muhammad; Managing Director of NAN, Ali Muhammad Ali and Emir of Bwari, Alhaji Auwal Ijakoro, among others, graced the maiden matriculation of the institution. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
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