The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has entered a new chapter in its institutional history following the assumption of office of Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma as Vice Chancellor on Wednesday, with the incoming academic administrator unveiling six priorities to drive his five year tenure.
Prof. Uduma, a Professor of Philosophy and former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) of the university, becomes the sixth person to occupy the position. His appointment was formally announced by Pro Chancellor and Governing Council Chairman Malam Isa Yuguda at a press conference in Abuja on 10 October 2025.
The six point agenda covers strengthening study centres, enhancing learner support systems, improving ICT and digital infrastructure, ensuring examination integrity, promoting staff welfare and sustaining quality assurance and accreditation standards.
Delivering his assumption of office speech titled "Rising to Build: Stewardship, Access, and Excellence for a New NOUN Era," Prof. Uduma characterised his appointment as "a solemn national trust," asserting that "Leadership is not ornamental; it is functional. It is not a posture of arrival, but a posture of responsibility."
Reaffirming the university's mission of broadening access to quality higher education regardless of geography, age, employment status, gender or circumstance, he noted his background as a former director of the Abakaliki study centre, making him the first NOUN Vice Chancellor with such experience. He declared that "I come into this office not to experiment, but to build."
The incoming Vice Chancellor appealed for collective commitment across the university community, describing institutional leadership as "a relay, not a rupture" and pledging to consolidate the achievements of his predecessors.
Outgoing Vice Chancellor Prof. Olufemi A. Peters expressed gratitude for his tenure, whilst university Registrar Mr. Oladipo Ajayi welcomed his successor, stating that "We welcome you at this defining moment of history. As you have often said, you are the keeper, the gatekeeper standing between the legacy of the old guards and the promise of the future. The Senate is confident that you will carry this sacred trust with wisdom, courage, and vision."
