South-West Development Commission seeks collaboration with NOUN

The Managing Director, South- West Development Commission (SWDC), Dr. Charles Diji Akinola and his team have visited the headquarters of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja, where they sought a collaborative relationship with the university.

The visitors, who came on Monday, February 23, 2026 were received by the Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Uduma O. Uduma, with principal officers of the University.

Akinola said they were at the university to have strategic collaboration alignment with a vision to establish a regional network of multi-purpose hubs across the South-West region.

The NOUN-SWDC collaboration, according to the MD, will serve as a foundational pillar within this ecosystem, integrating education delivery, digital infrastructure, youth empowerment, and innovation-led economic development.

He said the commission aims to enhance social and human capital development and what they are seeking from NOUN is a partnership aimed establishing regional programmes with significant impact.

The managing director explained that the region's population is approximately 50 million, with unmet educational needs.

Akinola stated that part of their proposal includes establishing study centres and multipurpose ICT hubs and that his commission is also interested in technical and vocational education partnerships which seeks to create a model for regional educational collaboration.

In his response , the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Uduma, thanked the MD of SWDC for recognising NOUN as a very credible institution to partner with, and assured him that NOUN is ready to collaborate with organisations to achieve its mandates.

He said the institution is unique in Nigeria, with a spread that enables collaboration.

Uduma explained that since the commission has identified partnership areas, a joint committee will be formed to prioritise and implement ideas.

The committee, he said, will consist of members from both sides to create an action plan.

The VC said the school is open and willing to work for necessary impacts and assured that NOUN will give credibility to the collaboration efforts.

The Vice-Chancellor was flanked at the visit by Prof. Chiedu Mafiana, DVC Academics; Prof. Shehu Usman Adamu, DVC Admin; Prof. Christine Ofulue, DVC Technology,Innovation and Research; Mr. Oladipo Ajayi, the Registrar and Mallam Nasiru Marafa, Bursar.

Officials from the visiting SWDC were Lateef Ajijola, Executive Director of the commission, and Kemi Olomo-Sijuwade, Technical Adviser to the MD.