Abuja Varsity Matriculates 105 Students, Mamman Urges Creative Innovations

Al- Muhibbah Open University based in Abuja, yesterday, matriculated 105 students across three faculties and 14 programmes as approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

At the unveiling and maiden matriculation of the university, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, tasked the Proprietor and Chancellor of the institution, Dr. Aisha Bala Muhammad, on devising creative innovations for qualifications, relevant to needs of the local community.

The minister said owing to the large pool of students searching for university education, there was need to open up the system for private education to meet the educational yearnings of the teeming Nigerian youths.

"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 government ownership of Open University has rose 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 so certainly government cannot meet this demands.

"So it is appropriate that we open the system to private sector who are really committed to the provision of this level of education,” he added.

He charged the National Universities Commission and other regulatory agencies to come up with quality assurance mechanism 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 give approval for.

"Secondly, one of the focus areas of this government are 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".