The Vice-Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, has reaffirmed the university's commitment to quality assurance and international best practices.
This is just as the National Universities Commission (NUC) commenced resource verification for proposed postgraduate programmes in Migration Studies and Environmental Management and Control.
The programmes presented for verification under the Centre of Excellence in Migration and Global Studies include the Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) in Migration Studies, Professional Master's in Migration Studies, Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Migration Studies, and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Migration Studies.
Also presented for verification were the Postgraduate Diploma (PGD), Master of Science (M.Sc.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programmes in Environmental Management and Control.
Prof. Uduma, while welcoming the NUC Resource Verification Team on Monday, August 24, 2026, at the University's headquarters in Abuja, described resource verification as a critical component of quality assurance in Nigeria's university system.
He noted that the verification of postgraduate programmes presents peculiar challenges that differ from those associated with undergraduate programmes.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, while regulatory standards remain essential to maintaining academic quality, universities should also be afforded sufficient flexibility to develop programmes that reflect their distinctive mandates, capacities and areas of strength.
The Vice-Chancellor assured the verification team of the university's full cooperation throughout the exercise, particularly in assessing the proposed programmes under the Centre of Excellence in Migration and Global Studies.
He described the programmes as multidisciplinary and capable of attracting scholars and professionals from diverse academic and professional backgrounds.
“You do not need to tell us to cooperate with you because it is in our interest to do so. If you see anything that is not good, tell us; and if you see what is good, tell the world, because we are partners in this business,” the Vice-Chancellor said.
Prof. Uduma commended the NUC for its critical role in safeguarding academic standards across Nigerian universities, stressing that the ultimate objective of resource verification is to ensure that academic programmes meet globally acceptable standards.
He further assured the team that NOUN would provide all necessary support to ensure a smooth and successful exercise.
Earlier, the Chairman of the NUC Resource Verification Team, Prof. Yahaya Tayo Iyanda, thanked the management of NOUN for the warm reception and support extended to the team since its arrival.
He explained that the exercise was designed to assess the adequacy of the human and material resources available for the proposed programmes in line with NUC requirements before approval is granted for their commencement.
“The essence of this resource verification is to find out what you have on ground vis-à-vis the intended programmes.
“We will go round to assess the facilities and resources available and, at the end of the exercise, we will be able to advise on areas where requirements have been met and where improvements may be necessary,” he said.
In a vote of thanks, the Dean of the Postgraduate School, Professor Sonnie Oniye, echoed the Vice-Chancellor's remarks and urged the verification team to provide objective and constructive feedback that would further strengthen the university's academic offerings.
The resource verification exercise for the proposed postgraduate programmes in Migration Studies and Environmental Management and Control underscores NOUN's continuing efforts to expand its postgraduate portfolio while maintaining high academic standards and responding to emerging national and global development needs.
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