The United States (US) embassy in Abuja is to establish a partnership with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) towards enriching the programmes of the university.
The deputy economic counselor in the embassy, Mr. Joel A. Koop disclosed this when he paid a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu at the university’s headquarters in Abuja.
Mr Koop, accompanied by Ms Sarah Young, said having come from the economic section of the embassy, they want to collaborate NOUN in enriching its economic curriculum and also seek opportunity for economic investment.
“We feel it will be immense to include local universities in Abuja area, and that is why we are approaching NOUN with our proposal.
“We believe in what you are doing as a university in raising the next generation of leaders for this country. We want your students to know other sections of the embassy,” he said.
Mr Koop said, as an embassy, they are not only interested in government-to-government conversation, but also people-to-people as well as embassy to people.
The VC, while responding welcomed the collaboration with the embassy and urged the US embassy to open “American Corners” in NOUN’s study centres across the country for easy dissemination of what they are doing.
He said as the largest university in West Africa, a collaboration with the economic counseling section of the embassy for the enrichment of its programmes is most welcomed.
Professor Adamu told the visiting counselor that the institution’s programs are designed to curb insurgency with its target in the Northeast, where insecurity has been pronounced.
“Our programs are targeted at combating insurgency, though the poor economic situation, we believe that once individuals are educated, they will be in a better position. We can fight insurgency with good and proper education.
“We provide hope for those who have been abandoned, disenfranchised, the hopeless, juveniles, prison inmates among others, and our focus now is women in purdah targeted in the Northeast,” he said.
The idea of NOUN, he said, is to afford individuals education while they are working, where enhanced curriculum will not only improve the skill of the students but also make them competitive and dynamic in a rapidly changing economy.
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