Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is among 14,771 persons expected to receive honours at the 7th convocation of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
The former president is expected to receive a doctorate in Christian Theology, Prof. Abdalla Adamu, NOUN’s Vice-Chancellor said at a news briefing on the institution’s 2018 convocation scheduled for January 20 at its headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
He said that Obasanjo would be considered for an appointment as a facilitator or supervisor as PhD was the least qualification for one to teach in the institution.
The vice-chancellor said that 14,771 was the highest number any institution in Nigeria had ever graduated at a convocation ceremony.
He said that in spite of being a former president, Obasanjo conducted himself properly and deservedly bagged Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Theology.
“One of the graduands is the first Ph.D. graduate the institution will produce; a university must graduate students at academic Masters Level before graduating Ph.D.
“Only one candidate has been able to do that and that is Obasanjo; the Senate has found him worthy of the award and approved the conferment of Ph.D. on him.
“There are lessons to be learnt from Obasanjo’s feat – one is never too old to learn; Obasanjo was about 80 years when he started the programme and has finished it at 82.
“Again, one is never too powerful to learn; he was the president twice and yet subjected himself to learning; learning is a humbling process.
“We will consider him for the post of a facilitator or supervisor; maybe for our Abeokuta Study Centre; we will suggest it to him.”
Adamu said that because of Obasanjo’s achievement, NOUN had received requests from other older citizens.
He said that the institution was able to graduate such a huge number of students because it had created its own internal data management which was previously handled by external vendors.
