By: Tunde Olofintila
The National Universities Commission, NUC, the Regulatory Authority for University Education in Nigeria, has approved the commencement of five Programmes for the Open & Distance Learning Center of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD with effect from 2025/2026 Academic session.
The approved Programmes are B. Sc. Economics, B. Sc. Business Administration, B. Sc. Computer Science, B. NSc, Nursing Science and M. Sc. Finance.
The cheering news is coming bare a week after the same NUC granted the university full accreditation in 13 programmes which include Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering and Petroleum Engineering in the College of Engineering, Medicine & Surgery and Dentistry in the College of Medicine & Health Sciences, Industrial Chemistry and Agriculture in the College of Sciences and Intelligence & Security Studies, Peace & Conflict Studies and Political Science in the College of Social & Management Sciences.
In a June 10, 2025, letter signed by NUC’s Acting Director, Open Distance and e-learning, Dr. Funmilayo Morebise, to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, the NUC predicated the approval on its Pre-validation Team’s April 11, 2025 visit to the University’s Centre for Distance Learning, during which it was able to assess the human and material resources available for the delivery of what it described as “the proposed programmes via ODL mode”.
Morebise’s letter said in part: “I write at the instance of the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), with reference to Afe Babalola University’s application to establish and run B. Sc. Economics, B. Sc. Business Administration, B. Sc. Computer Science, B. NSc, Nursing Science and M. Sc. Finance in the Open Distance Learning (ODL) mode”.
She added: “The Panel’s Report was considered by the Commission, and it was noted that there was availability of the required skilled human resources, learning resources, ICT infrastructure and a robust learning support framework necessary for the effective delivery of content in the running of the proposed programmes via ODL.
“Having considered the Panel’s findings and subsequent conclusion(s) that Afe Babalola University’s Open and Distance Learning Centre has satisfied critical areas of human, ODL infrastructure and course materials requirements for the commencement of the five proposed programmes via ODL mode, the Commission consequently upheld the recommendation(s) of the Panel’s for the validation of the five programmes and also approved that the aforementioned programmes shall be run by Open and Distance Learning Centre, Afe Babalola University, commencing from 2025/2026 Academic session”.
Reacting to the development, ABUAD’s Director of ODL, Prof. Adeola Tolu Ogunnusi, described the NUC’s approval as a welcome development which will make the quality and functional education being provided by ABUAD available to more people both in and outside Nigeria.
In her words: This is what we have been expecting. It will not only increase enrolment in our ODL programmes, it will also enable more people to have access to the quality and functional education on offer in ABUAD as a result of which the university was recently ranked by Times Higher Education Impact Rankings (THEIRS) as No. 1 in the World in SDG 7, No. 1 in the World in Outreach with a score of 98%, No. 1 in the World in Stewardship with a score of 98.2%, No. 1 among all the 264 Federal, State, and Private universities in Nigeria for three consecutive years: 2022, 2023 and 2024.
“It is particularly heartwarming that we now have five undergraduate programmes and one Postgraduate programme, i.e. Master’s Degree in Finance. All these combined, will constitute a very good opportunity for those who cannot attend universities on full time basis to still have access to quality, functional and affordable education.
ABUAD’s Open and Distance Learning Centre came into existence with all the trappings of excellence which ABUAD is reputed for as a world-class educational outfit which provides accessible, flexible and life-long learning.
The Centre is committed to providing quality Academic and Administrative support to learners through up-to-date and learner-friendly course materials as well as Learners’ Support Unit. Much emphasis is placed on Total Quality Management in the development of course materials as veritable and accessible companions with the learners in the absence of the facilitators.
Putting into consideration that learners are separated from tutors by distance and other factors, the course materials have been developed such that they can be used easily by the learners for self-study and self-assessment prior to their interactive sessions with their facilitators and Semester Examinations.
Because of the place and import of course materials to Open and Distance Education, seasoned and highly cerebral Academics of international standards in their respective specialties were carefully chosen and commissioned to put these materials together in a professional way. The course materials were later subjected to thorough review by a team of experts to ensure quality.
The materials are calibrated in Study sessions and sub-sessions. Each Study session features pedagogical learning outcomes, in-text questions and answers, summary of the session, self-assessment questions and notes, glossary of terms and references. Therefore, as a learner, one is expected to take this course material as a worthy companion to be read at his/her convenient times, and where necessary, source for other relevant materials as may be required or suggested in each volume.
Olofintila is ABUAD’s Director of Corporate Affairs