The federal government has endorsed the e-Learning programme of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), assuring parents, students and prospective applicants that there was nothing to fear.

It said that e-Learning “is one of the avenues that the National Universities Commission is exploring to increase access to university education without compromising quality.”

In a press release yesterday, NOUN’s Director of Media and Publicity, Malam Ibrahim Sheme, said this confirms the oft-repeated stance of the Vice-chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu, that NOUN is an Open and Distant Learning (ODL) institution “rather than a study-by-correspondence institution as some people erroneously think.”

The federal government’s endorsement was communicated to NOUN in a statement issued by the National Universities Commission (NUC), which showed that three other universities running a similar programme also benefited from the approval.

The others are University of Uyo, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, and University of Maiduguri.

NUC, in a statement signed by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Yakasai, had stated that “whereas the commission maintains its stand that online degrees are not accepted at the moment in Nigeria, this does not include the approved Nigerian universities’ e-Learning programme run within the shores of Nigeria.”

Explaining its endorsement of e-Learning programmes run by approved universities in Nigeria, the commission said: “The Nigerian universities e-Learning programme is a legitimate and well thought out pilot e-learning initiative. It is a Public Private Partnership between the National Universities Commission (NUC), Park Associates E-Learning Group and four federal universities.”

NUC explains that the goal of the initiative is to broaden access to university education for Nigerians.

Yakasai added: “The commission wishes to use this medium to allay all fears and doubts concerning the legitimacy or NUC endorsement of the Nigerian universities’ e-Learning Programme.”

He assured that students in the programme are “advised to continue to pursue their studies without fear and prospective applicants are encouraged to enrol.