The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has formally inaugurated its School of Postgraduate Studies building situated at the university’s headquarters in Abuja and was dedicated to a former Vice-Chancellor of the University, Emeritus Professor Olugbemiro Jegede.
The gesture, said the NOUN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Peters, was in recognition of Prof. Jegede’s pioneering leadership and enduring contributions to the growth of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in Nigeria.
The event, which took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, was graced by an array of distinguished personalities, including principal officers of the university, directors of various directoates, deans of faculties, senior academic and administrative staff, as well as friends and community leaders of the celebrant.
The inauguration formed part of a series of activities lined up to mark the end-of-tenure of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olufemi Peters, whose 5-year administration, which ends on February 11, 2026, has recorded significant development within the university.
Delivering the opening address, Prof. Peters described the occasion as both symbolic and historic.
He paid glowing tribute to Emeritus Professor Jegede, recalling that his personnel file number at NOUN remains 0001, a testament to his status as the university’s foundational Vice-Chancellor.
He traced the history of the institution to its first establishment in 1983, noting that it was later shut down before being restored under the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, following the university’s restoration, President Obasanjo turned to Professor Jegede to lead the reborn institution at a time marked by uncertainty and logistical challenges.
He noted that Professor Jegede displayed uncommon courage, vision, and resilience in accepting the responsibility, despite the inconveniences of starting afresh.
The Vice-Chancellor highlighted how Professor Jegede leveraged his extensive connections, including ties with the Open University, United Kingdom, to reposition NOUN and lay a solid academic and administrative foundation.
While acknowledging that he himself had often received commendations for his deep understanding of the ODL system, Professor Peters stated that much of his own growth and orientation in the field was owed to the mentorship and guidance of Professor Jegede.
In his response, Emeritus Professor Olugbemiro Jegede expressed deep gratitude for the honour, describing it as both humbling and long overdue.
He reiterated some of the historical points earlier made by the Vice-Chancellor, recalling that the original university was retired under a military decree during the regime of the then General Muhammadu Buhari, and later reopened by the democratic government of President Obasanjo.
However, Professor Jegede made important clarifications, drawing a distinction between the former institution known as the National Open University (NOU) and the present National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
He explained that the reopening came with a renewed mandate, structure, and national outlook, which necessitated rebuilding the institution almost from scratch.
The former VC noted that as the first Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, he worked tirelessly to establish local and international partnerships and to attract seasoned experts to the university, among which were the current outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olufemi Peters, whom he described as one of the products of that deliberate capacity-building effort.
Jegede also spoke candidly about the personal significance of the recognition, admitting that he had felt it was unfair that his contributions had not been formally acknowledged for many years.
He revealed that following the 76th meeting of the University Council, he was contacted and asked a series of questions about his time at NOUN, without being told the purpose, admitting that it was only later that he discovered that the inquiries were part of the process leading to the honour.
“I was completely oblivious of what was being planned,” he said, adding that he was pleasantly surprised and deeply pleased when he eventually learned that a building of such importance was to be dedicated to him.
He therefore thanked the Governing Council of the university, the management and the entire NOUN community for the gesture, and offered prayers for the institution to continue to grow from strength to strength in fulfilling its mandate of widening access to quality education.
The event drew to a close with a vote of thanks delivered by Prof. Sonnie J. Oniye, the Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies, who commended the university leadership for institutionalising a culture of recognition and for strengthening postgraduate education at NOUN.
Prof. Oniye articulated a shared sentiment of pride and anticipation, noting that the inauguration of this building sends a clear message about the centrality of advanced learning to NOUN’s mission.
The facility, he said, will be a place where intellectual rigor will be matched by unparalleled support, ensuring that the culture of recognition celebrated on that day continues to grow within these new halls for generations to come.
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