President Buhari has said the Federal Government is committed to making education affordable to youth of the country through the open and distance learning system (ODL).He said this at the 8th convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria, on Saturday, in Abuja.

The president also said his government would continue to deplore the necessary resources and facilities through direct budgetary funding and the tertiary education trust fund () interventions in order to ensure that provision of quality tertiary education is guaranteed to the youth.

Buhari, who was the visitor to the university, was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) Barr. Victor Onuoha, at the occasion.

He attributed the root cause of crisis recorded in the past in the country to ignorance, saying that his government hopes to put an end to it through functional education. The President said: “It is of common knowledge that the root cause of most of the recorded crisis of nationhood that we recorded in Nigeria are as a result of ignorance which we hope can be abated through functional education.

“This is why the federal government of Nigeria is more than ever before, committed to making education affordable through the open and distance learning system. In this connection, therefore, the national policies on education have provided for lifelong learning that transcends all barriers through open and distance learning.

“As a government, we reiterate our commitment to continue to deplore, the necessary resources and facilities through direct budgetary funding, TETFund interventions and the NEEDS assessment funding to ensure that provision of quality tertiary education is guaranteed to our teeming youth.

“The president commended NOUN for expending access to higher education for Nigerians. Buhari added that the government would strengthen the ODL system of NOUN in order to meet its target of expanding access to tertiary education.

“It is gratifying to note that NOUN continues to record successes at the national level by expanding access to higher education as well as making it affordable. In this regard, the national open university of Nigeria has carved a niche for itself both nationally and internationally.

“The open and distance learning institution (ODL) will therefore be strengthened to take the lead in this desired direction’” the president said. In his remarks, NOUN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Adamu, said that 20, 799 graduated from the university.

He explained that the massive increase in the number of graduates of the university was as a result of the confidence Nigerians have placed on the efficacy of the ODL system. According to him, the university awarded 103 First Class degrees to the graduating students.

Bala Salhu Magaji of the department of Islamic Studies emerged the overall best graduating student at the occasion.