The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has assured the management of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) of the state government’s readiness to partner with the institution to boost training of youths and civil servants.
The governor made the commitment during a courtesy visit by the management team of the Benin Learning Centre of NOUN at Government House in Benin City, Edo State.
He said, “We are in alignment with the objectives of your university and we will collaborate with you as we revamp our vocational education system. Our emphasis is to empower more of our youths with vocational and technical skills so that by the time they leave secondary school, they can set up their own businesses and can then decide to enrol in NOUN to get additional degrees.”
“We are building a civil service training academy and I hope we will collaborate with you and take advantage of the courses you offer for the benefit of our civil servants,” he added.
Obaseki noted that the Commissioner for Education will work with the State Ministry of Infrastructure for the construction of a road which leads to the university’s learning centre, as part of the Ekehuan Evbotubu Road project. We have started work on Ekehuan Road and we can get the contractors to do a spur to the university’s learning center.”
Director of Benin Learning Centre, NOUN, Prof. Omolara Nwabueze, said the federal university was established to provide quality, functional, cost-effective and flexible learning for students. Nwabueze noted that the university hosts the World Bank’s Africa Centre of Excellence for Technology Enhanced Learning and was
ready to provide services to the state government.
“We are here to add value to the state and have been able to provide a leeway for many of those that could not have access to the conventional university,” she added.
