The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) on Saturday matriculated 15,000 new students.

The matriculation ceremony was held online following the lockdown arising from the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.

A statement issued by the spokesman of the university, Ibrahim Sheme, on Saturday, said the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Abdalla Adamu, advised the new students of the university to rise to the challenges of the modern world in their quest for knowledge, including eradicating future diseases like the current Covid-19.

NOUN Matriculate

In a welcome address to the over 15,000 new students, which he read over the Zoom application to which many of the students logged on from all over the country, Mr Adamu advised the new students to see any challenge they encounter in the course of their studies as a building block.

“One block at a time, and you will erect a mansion, you are in the best position to do this because your learning is powered by your personal desire to learn,” the statement reads.

The institution did not mention the number of students who logged online to participate in the ceremony.

The vice-chancellor of the institution said while many students enter higher institutions in order to become educated so that they can get jobs, the matriculating students at NOUN already have jobs and occupations.

“Technology has become a commodity, NOUN has optimised its online facilitation exercise such that students can easily interact directly with their lecturers,” the VC said.