The Former Dean of the School of Arts and Social Sciences at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), and currently the Provost, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Epe, Lagos State, Professor Olu Akeusola while speaking with journalist disclosed reasons why graduates of Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) are not qualified to participate in National Youth Service Corps.
In his words, “You see, we have the tendency of misinterpreting concepts. NOUN isn’t meant for regular students. It is not meant for anybody that has just finished his secondary education.”
NOUN is a flexible programme meant for adults – meant for the working class. It is for people who have sufficient experience, but want academic knowledge and certificates to back up what they are doing.”
“NOUN got it wrong when they started admitting students that are JAMB drop-outs—people who are unable to go to conventional universities through JAMB; and then also fresh secondary school graduates. Automatically, they would be agitating that they want to serve, after all, they are graduates."
"But the question you should ask is: If we are talking about NOUN as flexible, what about graduates from sandwich programmes? Are they serving? So, what makes NOUN different from sandwich? The only difference is that sandwich is done only during the holidays and it is like part-time. NOUN is flexible, but then, they both don’t receive lectures everyday. They both don’t do face-to-face lectures.”
