President Bola Tinubu has vowed to elevate the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) into a world-class online institution, pledging increased investment in digital infrastructure, improved learning platforms, and expanded access to flexible, high-quality education for students across the country.

Speaking at the 15th convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria at the institution’s headquarters in Abuja on Saturday, the Visitor said the university’s open and distance learning model remains a strategic solution to Nigeria’s widening gap between the demand for tertiary education and the limited capacity of conventional institutions.

The President stressed that embracing technology-driven education would not only accommodate more learners but also equip them with skills relevant to a rapidly evolving global economy.

Represented by the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Abdullahi Ribadu, he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening regulatory standards, enhancing the quality of course delivery, and fostering partnerships with global institutions to ensure that degrees awarded by the university remain competitive and widely recognised.

The President said the institution’s model offers a strategic response to the growing gap between demand for tertiary education and available spaces in conventional universities.

With over two million candidates sitting annually for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Tinubu lamented that only a fraction secure admission, leaving millions of qualified Nigerians without opportunities.

“NOUN has demonstrated that the frontiers of higher education can be expanded significantly without compromising academic standards,” he said, describing the university as a “vital instrument” for democratizing access to education.

The President emphasized that the institution’s flexible structure has removed barriers related to location, occupation, and personal circumstances, enabling working professionals, women, security personnel, entrepreneurs, and others to pursue higher education.

The Guardian reports that over 24,000 graduands received qualifications at the ceremony, comprising 17,474 undergraduate degrees, 1,788 postgraduate diplomas, 5,282 master’s degrees, and 31 doctoral degrees. Among the undergraduate class, 57 students graduated with First Class honours, 57 inmates with first degrees while the majority earned Second Class Lower Division.

He urged the graduating students to deploy their knowledge toward innovation, integrity, and national development.

In his address, the Chancellor of the University and Oba of Benin Kingdom, Oba Ewuare II, tasked relevant authorities to remove all impediments preventing eligible graduates of the institution from participating fully in the National Youth Service Corps scheme.

Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Prof Uduma Oji Uduma, unveiled an ambitious reform agenda aimed at transforming the institution into a global leader in open and distance learning.

The Vice-Chancellor described convocation as more than a ceremonial event, calling it “the public ratification of intellectual discipline and the solemn transfer of responsibility.” He urged graduates to see the moment as both the culmination of years of study and the beginning of their obligation to society.

He used the occasion, his first convocation since assuming office on February 11, 2026, to outline a five-year strategic plan (2026–2031) focused on expanding access to education, strengthening digital infrastructure, and enhancing research output.

“At the heart of this agenda lies a simple but profound idea: that education must be accessible, meaningful, and transformative,” he said.

Prof. Uduma highlighted major strides in the university’s digital transformation, including the expansion of fibre optic connectivity across study centres nationwide and the migration of institutional systems to Amazon Web Services.

He noted that the university now operates the largest Moodle-based learning management system in West Africa, supporting over 180,000 active users and delivering more than 2,000 courses per semester.

The Vice-Chancellor also pointed to improvements in physical infrastructure, with new academic buildings, laboratories, road networks, and student accommodation completed across several study centres, while additional projects are underway countrywide.