Prof Abdalla and
Prof Abdalla and the Soaring Image of NOUN, By Gidado
Yushau Shuaib
If the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) lasts until
the end of time, and there is every likelihood it will, the name
‘Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu’ will never go into extinction. It will
face no compromise. Professor Adamu, the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN
has paddled the university out of the doldrums to its present
admirable position as a reputable citadel of learning. One won’t be
wrong to call him ‘the changer of fate.’
Established in 1983 as a springboard for open and distance
learning in Nigeria, the institution had to be suspended a year
after. However, its resuscitation began on 12 April 2000. Ever
since the institution had been witnessing one stride after another
in the hands. Notably, the administration of Prof. Abdalla which
started in 2016 has been eventful especially as the institution is
seen to be witnessing a what may aptly be described as the
transformation to a ‘giant’ institution.
Starting from the swift relocation of its headquarters from
Lagos to Abuja, the country’s ‘administrative capital’, up till the
point of making the institution to have a blossoming student
population unrivalled in Africa, all of which were made possible by
Prof. Adamu’s leadership ‘notoriety’. In ensuring a smooth
relocation, Professor Adamu had to quickly fix the infrastructural
gaps in the permanent site which was then under construction.
Concerned about qualitative education relevant to the modern
world, Adamu introduced professional courses with ‘attractive’
modules including degree programmes in International Relations,
French and Development Studies. He also introduced Master of Law
(LL.M), Master of International Law and Diplomacy (MILD), Doctor of
Philosophy (PhD) Law, M.Sc Public Health, Postgraduate Diploma
(PGD) Economics, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Mass Communication,
Master of Science (M.Sc) Cyber Security. Others include a Master of
Science (M.Sc) Artificial Intelligence, Master of Science (M.Sc)
Management Information System, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Cyber
Security, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Artificial Intelligence,
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Management Information System as well as
its over 22,000 facilitators spread across the country.
Before Prof Adamu assumed office, the university was facing a
hard time over the accreditation of some of its courses by the
National University Commission (NUC). With his Midas Touch, the
school’s Law programme is being fine-tuned for accreditation so as
its students would soon be able to enrol in the Nigerian Law
School. This, before Prof Adamu’s coming, was deemed arguably
impossible.
Also, under his leadership, in 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari
assented the amended NOUN Act. With this recognition, the
university is placed at par with all recognised universities in
Nigeria under the various Acts that amended the provision of higher
education in Nigerian universities. The act opens a vista of
opportunities for students of the institution that they did not
have before.
Going back to the institution’s infrastructural achievements
under Prof Adamu, one can beat his chest that it never had it
better. And it is not solely at the headquarters that the
infrastructural transformation has taken place, it is across its 78
study centres. At the headquarters, there is a 3-storey faculty
building billed to house the remaining faculties in Lagos. Other
structures built by the professor include: a magnificent library, a
brand-new printing press, a convocation ground and a media
centre.
The institution also unveiled its newly redesigned Olusegun
Obasanjo Centre for African Studies, OOCAS, the centre was opened
to collaborate with local and international scholars willing to
dissect Africa, towards the goal of producing cutting-edge research
that would showcase the African story.
Apart from academics, the professor has a strong passion for
sports. This is apparently why he is seeing to the building of a
recreation centre at the university’s headquarters. In the centre
are two courts for basketball, one for volleyball and another one
for football. These facilities are being routinely used by both
staff and students; hence the institution stole the show at the
recent NUSSA Games at the University of Ilorin and smiled home with
the highest number of medals. NOUN had more athletes in the
competition than any other university.
Daily, both global and local players in the sector of education
troop into the university for all sorts of collaborations. Many a
university in Nigeria and beyond are now using NOUN’s template
because of its efficacy. Little wonder, the Society for Peace,
Conflict and Practice and Canada-based Commonwealth of Learning
conferred their fellowship this workaholic Professor.
These aren’t all the achievements of Prof Adamu at NOUN. These
are only a few, yet they loudly position him as a man with the
Midas Touch.
Gidado Yushau Shuaib, the editor of Youths Digest and The News
Digest, can be reached on giddyshuaib@gmail.com