56 Inmates Earn Degrees As National Open Varsity Graduates 24,575

The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) will confer degrees on 24,575 students, among them 56 inmates from correctional centres, at its forthcoming 15th convocation.

The institution’s vice-chancellor, Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, disclosed this yesterday at a pre-convocation media briefing in Abuja.

Uduma, who assumed office in February 2026 as the university’s sixth vice-chancellor, said the institution had grown into a leading force in open and distance learning, breaking traditional barriers associated with time, geography and access.

According to him, NOUN has transitioned from scepticism to national acceptance and is now positioned as a leader in flexible learning systems, with its model increasingly adopted by other institutions.

He said, “Of the total number, 17,474 are undergraduates, 1,788 earned postgraduate diplomas, 5,282 obtained master’s degrees, while 31 graduated with doctoral qualifications.”

A breakdown of the figures shows that the Faculty of Management Sciences produced the highest number of graduates with 7,455, followed by the Faculty of Social Sciences with 6,024.

The Faculty of Health Sciences accounted for 3,939 graduates, while Education recorded 3,431. The Faculty of Computing produced 2,205 graduates; Science, 943; Arts, 452; Agricultural Sciences, 120 and Law, six postgraduate graduates.

The vice chancellor said the convocation lecture, scheduled for April 17, will be delivered by Chief Kanu Godwin Agabi, a former attorney-general of the federation (AGF), with the theme “Nigeria Against Corruption.”

“The convocation proper will take place on Saturday, 18th April 2026. In recognition of the distinctive nature of the National Open University of Nigeria as a widely distributed institution, participation will occur both centrally and across study centres nationwide,” he said.

He also announced that certificates would be issued immediately after the ceremony, describing it as a significant step towards improving institutional efficiency and eliminating delays often associated with documentation.

Regarding honorary degrees, Uduma clarified that the university is guided by strict criteria, not popularity or numbers, and that only individuals who meet clearly defined standards of merit and contribution would be considered.