RETRIDOL kick-starts two decades of existence celebration, holds lecture, round-table discussion

A 3-man delegation has paid a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Olufemi Peters as part of the line up of activities of the Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDOL) in preparation for the 2-day guest lecture and round table series to mark two decades of existence.

Leading the team was the former NOUN Vice-Chancellor, Emeritus Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede alongside the Director RETRIDOL, Prof. Christine Ofulue.

The event, which will be co-hosted in collaboration with the African Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL), National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), will be holding on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 by 9.30am prompt each day at the 3rd floor, Gabriel Afolabi Ojo Central Library, NOUN headquarters.

The landmark event with topics “Re- imagining Education Futures at the Intersection of Technology, Education and Design,” will feature Prof. Som Naidu, Principal Associate, Technology, Education and Design Associate, Melbourne ,Australia as the guest speaker for Tuesday.

While the topic:“The Importance of Lifelong Learning in Social Policies,”with emphasis on healthcare will feature, Prof. Carlos A. Pereira de Oliveira of the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as the guest speaker for Wednesday, August 8, 2023.

The high-level discussion will feature eminent personalities such as Emeritus Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede, a one-time Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Mercy Ogunsola-Bandele of NOUN, as discussants for Tuesday, August 6, 2023, and Prof. Francis Egbokhare of the University of Ibadan, as moderator.

Professor Shehu Usman Adamu, Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, NOUN, Professor Helen Kwanashie of NOUN as discussants for the 9 of August 2023 event with Emeritus Professor Olugbemiro Jegede as the moderator.

RETRIDOL director, Prof. Christine Ofulue stated that the thrust of the courtesy visit was in commemoration of the 2-decade of RETRIDOL existence on a partnership between the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Canada, an intergovernmental agency of the Commonwealth Heads of Government of which Ghana and Nigeria are members.

The VC welcomed the delegates, adding that RETRIDOL since its existence has proved its worth with different directors bringing in their expertise.

“We welcome you to the 20th Anniversary as we are eager to listen to you and what you have to deliver to us. NOUN is a catchy name in the West Africa; hardly will you go anywhere without NOUN being mentioned,”he added.

RETRIDOL’s primary mandate is to build the capacity of higher education institutions for the Open and Distance Learning; foster regional networking, partnerships and collaboration for the promotion of ODL in the West Africa sub-region and beyond. RETRIDOL does this primarily through organising training activities, academic programmes and research activities.

The institute has been consistently carrying out its mandate in the sub-region, specifically in the Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Cameroon and more recently Togo and Gabon.