NOUN to strengthen institutional collaborations
The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has taken a strategic leap towards enhancing its global relevance and institutional partnerships with a sensitisation workshop organised by the Directorate of Advancement and Linkages (DA&L). The event brought together key stakeholders, academics, and international experts to explore sustainable strategies for advancement and collaboration in the university system. […]
The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has taken a strategic leap towards enhancing its global relevance and institutional partnerships with a sensitisation workshop organised by the Directorate of Advancement and Linkages (DA&L).
The event brought together key stakeholders, academics, and international experts to explore sustainable strategies for advancement and collaboration in the university system.
Declaring the workshop open, the Vice Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Olufemi Peters, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, Professor Chiedu Mafiana, emphasised the pivotal role the directorate played in the university’s future.
He noted that the directorate was formerly embedded within the Directorate of Research, Administration, and Linkages, but was separated under the current administration to maximise its potential.
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“I once led a study tour of six universities in the United States with fourteen Nigerian vice chancellors and the staggering number of resources generated by advancement offices in those institutions made it clear that NOUN needed a dedicated and independent Directorate for Advancement and Linkages. Thankfully, the current vice chancellor has made that a reality,” he said.
He underscored the need for system-wide understanding of the directorate’s role, emphasising that it must be adequately staffed and empowered to meet its vision.
“This assignment is enormous. It requires total commitment and the support of the entire university community,” he said, while extending appreciation to guest speakers at the workshop.
In her welcome address, the Director, Directorate of Advancement and Linkages, NOUN, Prof. Ganiyat Adesina-Uthman, highlighted the directorate’s mandate to coordinate and manage the university’s linkages with other institutions, corporate organisations, philanthropists, and educational stakeholders both locally and internationally.
She said the workshop was organised to realign and reinvigorate NOUN’s “institutional partnerships.”
In a keynote address, Prof. Ibikunle Tijani, a professor of history and the executive director, Office of Global partnership-Africa, Morgan State University, speaking on the topic “Linkages and Institutional Drivers,” emphasised the need for a diverse set of actors to drive institutional partnerships.
Also speaking at the workshop, Prof. Kabiru Akinyemi, Director of Linkages, Partnerships, and Collaboration, LASU, in his lecture titled “Advancement and Linkages in the University System for Sustainable Teaching and Research,” described advancement as a deliberate strategy to engage key external stakeholders.
He said these linkages have produced measurable impacts, including improvements in the quality of teaching and learning, enhanced research capacity through access to modern equipment, and better employability for LASU graduates, all contributing to improved institutional rankings.
The workshop drew participation from 133 attendees, including representatives from prominent institutions such as Maryam Abacha American University, Kano; Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin; University of Maiduguri, Borno; and Lagos State University.
Also in attendance were officials from the Presidency’s Diaspora Commission, the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Alumni Association, the Directorate of Security, Peace and Transitional Studies (SPTS), and the Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP) at the national level.