57 Make First Class As NOUN Graduates 24,575 Students

The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has announced that no fewer than 57 students will graduate with First Class honours during the institution’s 15th convocation ceremony scheduled for Saturday, April 18, 2026.

Vice Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, who made this known on Tuesday in Abuja during a pre-convocation media briefing, said a total of 24,575 students would be graduating during the ceremony.

He described the event as both a celebration of academic achievement and a reflection of the university’s evolving role in expanding access to education.

According to him, the graduating set comprises 17,474 undergraduates, 1,788 Postgraduate Diploma recipients, 5,282 Master’s degree holders, and 31 doctoral graduates.

“This year, the University will graduate 24,575 students, including 17,474 undergraduates, 1,788 Postgraduate Diploma holders, 5,282 Master’s graduates, and 31 doctoral recipients,” he said.

Providing further insight into the academic distribution, the Vice-Chancellor said the Faculty of Management Sciences produced the highest number of graduates with 7,455, followed by Social Sciences with 6,024, while Health Sciences accounted for 3,939 graduates.

He emphasised the growing inclusion of women in higher education, noting that female students make up over half of the undergraduate graduating class.

“At the undergraduate level, 10,180 out of 17,474 graduates are female… This is not merely a demographic detail – it is a philosophical milestone,” he stated.

The Vice-Chancellor also revealed that 56 inmates from correctional centres across the country are among the graduating students, adding that they are beneficiaries of the university’s free education policy for prison inmates.

“This initiative stands as one of the most profound expressions of our institutional philosophy.

“For what does it mean to educate those behind bars? It means we believe that no human being is beyond redemption. It means we affirm that knowledge can transform not only minds, but lives.

” It means we insist that dignity can be restored where it has been diminished. As African wisdom teaches us, ‘No matter how far the stream flows, it can still return to its source.’ In extending education to correctional centres, this University is not merely teaching – it is restoring hope, rebuilding identity, and reaffirming humanity,” he said.

Prof. Uduma explained that the convocation would be conducted simultaneously at the university’s national headquarters and across its study centres nationwide, in line with NOUN’s open and distance learning structure.

“The Convocation Ceremony proper will take place on Saturday, the 18th of April 2026… participation will occur both centrally and across study centres nationwide. This decentralised model… ensures that every graduate, regardless of location, is part of a shared moment of honour,” he said.

Uduma also announced a major administrative shift, noting that graduating students would receive their certificates immediately after the ceremony.

“This is not a small achievement. It represents a shift from bureaucratic delay to institutional efficiency,” he added.

Uduma, who described the convocation as his first since assuming office in February 2026, said the ceremony represents a bridge between continuity and renewal for the institution, adding that activities will begin with a lecture on April 17, to be delivered by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Godwin Agabi (SAN).

“The Lecture will be Chaired by Professor Kabir Bala, a former Vice-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The theme, ‘Nigeria Against Corruption,’ is both deliberate and necessary. It is a call to national introspection – a reminder that education must not only produce skilled individuals, but also ethical citizens,” the VC said.

Earlier, Director of Media and Publicity of the university, Ibrahim Sheme, in his remarks, described the briefing as the Vice-Chancellor’s first formal engagement with the media and commended journalists for their professionalism and continued support.

“We regard them as dependable allies in our communication efforts,” he said, urging sustained collaboration and access to information to enhance accurate reporting.

He stressed that convocation remains “a defining moment in the life of any university,” adding that expectations are high as this is the first ceremony under the current administration