Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, is introducing Nursing Science, Mass Communication, Computer Science, and Business Administration into its Open and Distance Learning programme from the 2026/2027 academic session, a move the Vice Chancellor, Prof Ayodeji Agboola, linked to overwhelming demand for the University's existing courses.

Agboola disclosed this on Wednesday while presenting the University's growth record between 2022 and 2026 at a retreat organised for outgoing members of the Governing Council.

He revealed that the Institution received more than 5,000 applications for just 50 available Nursing Science slots this admission cycle, while Mass Communication attracted about 4,000 applicants against a capacity of 120.

"We selected these programmes based on the huge demand from admission seekers. Medicine is even more competitive," Agboola stated, noting that the ODL route was introduced to widen access without compromising the degrees awarded.

The VC explained that the Open and Distance Learning programme started with 100 students in the 2022/2023 session and grew to 307 by 2025/2026, adding that the University has now graduated its first cohort, satisfying the minimum threshold required by the National Universities Commission to expand the programme.

Agboola attributed the rising interest in OOU to reforms carried out over the past four years, pointing to enrolment growth from 27,785 students in 2022 to 34,657 in 2026. He also cited improvements in the University's Webometrics ranking, which climbed from roughly 4,000 globally in 2022 to about 2,700 in 2026, placing OOU 15th nationally among more than 300 Nigerian Universities and 51st in Africa.

Beyond academics, the VC disclosed that the Institution cleared pension and gratuity arrears of about ₦2.1 billion and raised annual revenue from ₦7 billion to over ₦11 billion, crediting ICT driven reforms for cutting administrative costs and enabling a largely paperless system.

Agboola commended the outgoing Governing Council, chaired by Pro Chancellor Prof Toyin Ashiru, for contributions that strengthened institutional development. Ashiru, responding, said the council had prioritised integrity, innovation, and accountability throughout its tenure, while the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbabu, commended the council's governance and reaffirmed the state's commitment to due process in admissions and appointments.