Former president, Alhaji Shehu Shagari yesterday appealed to the federal government not to relent on its oars in funding of education in the country.
Shehu Shagari who made the appeal when the Vice Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Prof. Abdallah Ubah Adamu paid him a
courtesy call in his Sama Road resident within the Sokoto metropolis, added that, he established NOUN in 1983 because of the future of Nigeria.
While insisting that, NOUN has at the moment provided platform for many to be educated at their own pace, President Shehu Shagari encouraged Nigerians to continue to embrace education at whatever cost. Earlier, NOUN Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdullah Ubah Adamu thanked Shagari for establishing NOUN, saying such wisdom is worth commending.
Talking on the prospects of NOUN, Prof. Abdullah told Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal when he paid a courtesy call at the Government House that, the institution has no fewer than 250, 000 students at the moment.
He, however, decried that, Sokoto State has less than 1,000 students in NOUN despite the state government’s belief in the institution’s capacity.
“Sokoto has less than 1,000 students in NOUN, while states like Delta has 10, 000.”
Lagos has 30, 000, Enugu 18, 000, Kano 2,500 and Bauchi less than 2,000 students in all.”
Prof. Abdullah divulged further that, only NOUN provides free education for inmates.
On his part, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal promised that the state will continue to partner with NOUN for the collective good of all.