Young Nigerian Entrepreneurs And Key Elements For Business

There are two ways for the financial survival in the modern world and that is either you take the job or make your career in business. While most people look for employment opportunities few make it to the business world. And aspirants who use the pragmatic approach to the commerce taste success. There are innumerable examples which show us how have people win over the challenges to writing their success stories in the commerce world. If we have careful analysis we'll see that world economy is not developing as it was apprehended. In the midst of slow economic growth, it's the hard truth that the availability or creation of new job seems challenging. Hence, countries across the globe are encouraging youths to build skill and make the career in business. It's good to find that African youths are responding to the call and taking the initiative to obtain skills and know-how of business. This undoubtedly will help African economy to grow at the certain point of time.

Job Market Of Nigeria

It's evident from the report of the research of British Council that the job market of Nigeria has limited scope for youths. According to the report, due to lack of experience and skill, 23% of Nigerian job seekers will not be able to catch jobs.

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There is clear indication in the report that Nigeria will face the crisis if the scenario does not change. Besides, the government have to take serious measures to rescue the crisis. Otherwise, it's easy to guess that Nigerian economy will suffer the setback.

Nigerian Youths On Mission

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While most Nigerian young are worried about their future, some have managed create opportunities for themselves and for others as well. Chris Kwekowe, the co-founder of Slatecube in Nigeria is the first Nigerian to be awarded prestigious Anzisha Prize in 2015. It's Africa’s most prestigious award for youth entrepreneurship. According to Kwekowe, “It is often best for start-ups to have co-founders. Whether you are a tech person or a business person, you should look for someone who complements your business.”

Kwekowe and his brother have started the online initiative to respond to the Nigerian employment crisis. Started in 2014, Slatecube provides industry-based practical training for the development of the skill. It matches the suitable profile and meets industry demand by providing the skilled workforce.

Kwekowe has inspired many Nigerian youths to innovate. Another Nigerian, Tebogo Ditshego, CEO of Ditshego Media is also the inspiration for many youths.

Key Substance Of Entrepreneurship

The world has changed. In the contemporary business world, few elements are crucial for success. Business education is considered as utmost essential as it helps to develop the compact idea and skill for utilising the artifice. The important business elements for entrepreneurship are:

Strategy

Planning is key. Be it any business, the fate of enterprise depends on its strategies. From market research to hiring the most competent staff are part of planning. It would make your business to thrive. The business planning would enable you to understand the behaviour of the customer/client. Besides, commerce planning will allow you to know what product/service to offer and where to make business. Planning will also allow you manage your money. However, I would recommend avoiding excessive planning, because it might have opposite impact on the business.

Relationship and Networking

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For any business relationship is key for success. Both internal and external relation are significant for prosperous business. In another word no relationship means no business. In the midst of the intensified trade competition, organisations greatly focus on building the relationship with the customer/client. From the point of view client and customer, the effort of the company to maintain relation matters hence the bonding between the two help in generating business. Relationship with customer/client helps business to expand. Relationship with the customer or the client will help the business to expand. Remember, mouth publicity still holds high. The positive personal experience of the customer will win new prospect for your business. It will help in the networking of your commerce.

Achieving The Purpose

Never miss your goal. If you want to steer your business to success, the priority should be well known to you. You should remain dedicated and focused towards your goal. Challenges will create hurdle, but never fear the odds. Indeed, learn from the challenges, apply the tricks you have learnt from your previous odds and march forward.

Promise And Deliver

There are thousands of companies around us which excite us with their product and service promises. But in reality, many fail to deliver their commitment. To imprint your brand in the mind of the customers ensure you deliver what you commit. This would create the positive impression among the customer which will create new prospect for business.

The Exit

If the entire things do not work for you, it's better to make the exit. However, it's better to handover the business to one who can drive the business from loose to profit. Make sure you have plan B. Because, by the time you have enough experience to run the business. For you, next endeavour, use pragmatic ideas and effort to succeed.

Prospect For Economy

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It's good to see that Nigerian youths are not down with the challenges. These young entrepreneurs are motivation for many other who are learning from them. In an economy where is the lack of job prospect, it's better to equip them with knowledge of commerce. This would enable them to develop the skill set and qualities of the business person. I am optimistic that the success of these businessmen would help the economy of Nigeria to grow.

To share your opinion on the role of young Nigerian entrepreneurs in the National economy post your comment below.

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Boost Your Career With PG Level Education

The demand for higher qualification is growing. The companies across the globe are adopting the CV's reflecting with MBA. As a result the demand for Postgraduate Diploma in Management has gone up. In the current competition an employee cannot take risk with his growth opportunity. Now the question arises, how to fund for the Postgraduate diploma in management program? This common question has made students and working professional apprehensive. Instead of quiting and wasting time it is advisable to reach the proper forum. There are ways to get fund via Awards for Training and Higher Education (ATHE).

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Clutching Fiscal Help

Funding for education does not comes easy. Online education collaborated with industry centric knowledge with practical training is the fastest growing learning trend in the education system. In comparison to campus learning, the cost of obtaining PG Diploma in Management via online mode of is low. However, the course offered comes with price.

The main challenge for the learner is to acquire education fund. Funding for learning is not easy. Nevertheless, with the growing need for educational funding new institutions has come forward to fund for the needy learners.

There are different ways through which funding for management course can be acquired. Read the following points:

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• Scholarship can be beneficial to receive funding. It is offered for various management programs. It is provided to the students with strong academic background, who can fulfill the various criteria for scholarship. It is advised to the students to apply early for scholarship. Since it is first come first served basis, early application may enhance chance to get the scholarship.

• There are several international postgraduate student lender institutions. Prodigy Finance is one such platform where from students can get monetary funding. It has funded students at top ranking business schools like- London Business School, Chicago Booth, Stanford, Wharton, Saïd Business School (Oxford University), Columbia Business School, INSEAD and NUS.

• Company Sponsorship is also an available option to fund your management program. Employee can take financial assistance in the for form of credit from the company. The employer deducts credit amount from the salary of the employee. In this way course fee can be funded.

• Crowdfunding is another way to manage fund for Postgraduate Diploma in Management. It is imperative to attract the investors. Hence good planning for crowdfunding campaign is advised.

Online ATHE Postgraduate Diploma In Business And Management

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Through e-learning desired knowledge can be obtained or upgraded from any part of the world. Without quiting your current job you can study from your occupied schedule. Students can gather information about online ATHE postgraduate diploma in business and management offered by different international student money lending institutions.

Why Postgraduate Level Study Is Essential?

The PG level Business and Management course sharpens the skill and upgrades the knowledge of the student and the employees. Also, the companies value the professionals with PG certification. Management feels that such candidates or the employee can perform better with bigger responsibilities. Hence the saneness of Post Graduate diploma in Management program is considered as valuable. The availability of the e-learning has been designed to provide maximum benefit to facilitate students and the professionals employed in companies.

Can higher education empower our students? Share your thoughts and views by commenting below.

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Which Is Better: Traditional Or Online Education ?

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Before taking up any form of education, it is important for a student to be convinced and motivated for that educational mode- be it Online education or Traditional Education !!

For getting these answers we must first understand the differences between the two forms of education. The following can be considered as some of the major differences between online and traditional form of education:

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What is online education?

Online education is a modern effective mode of education implemented by the technology of the service of internet. Besides providing education in an efficient way it also increases the educational options to the students who find it difficult to access it.

1.Sincerity and Discipline

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Since more importance is stressed upon the asynchronous form ( include the completion of assignments and other activities) of studying for the evaluation of the student ultimately resulting in his/her benefit, it targets to make the students more self-dependant as it increases their discipline and sincerity regarding their studying. Timely completion of the assignments and the proper following of the progression of the course make students more serious than traditional form of studying.

2.Reading gets more Importance

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Since maximum of the tasks are reading based, the students have to be strong in their reading skills. You do need to be an avid reader in order to pursue an online learning career. Traditional form of education provides more stress on lectures.

3.Availability of the Teachers

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In traditional form of education the professors are not always available such as after the normal class hours. In online mode of learning the professors are even available after the normal class hours which adds an extra benefit to it.

4.Writing capability

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The writing power of the students provide an extra advantage for them as the performance and the interaction in online learning are both writing based. You should be an efficient writer in order to manage with the online mode of learning.

5.Being digitally knowledgeable

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Since the online mode of learning is based on the digital platform, possessing digital knowledge is another fundamental characteristic to get into online learning. Students have to know about digital access and navigation. Added to this being updated with the latest technologies is another essential factor. Traditional form of education , digital awareness is not mandatory.

6.Impartial treatment to the student

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Obviously, the student is impartially treated in online mode of learning. In the traditional mode of education the most powerful speaker may have the advantageous opportunity to speak which leads to partiality. There are no such concepts in the online mode of learning. The students’ view or opinion is always treated with an impartial mentality in it.

7.The Professor’s Purpose

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The professor is more a dictator in the traditional way of teaching but he/she is a more helpful guide and advisor when it comes to the online mode of learning.

8.Difference in Social Networking

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In the two modes of education, the form of social interaction differs. In traditional mode of studying the student only get to communicate with the individuals related with the organization. In online mode of teaching the student can interact with the whole world through the internet which is, of course, more effective than the previous.

9.Individuality gets its definition

It is one of the important effects of the online education. Here the students’ individuality is given the proper value. A student; his/her own thoughts; own opinion; point of views are all treated with equal consideration which is not that much prominent in the traditional way of teaching.
Lets see what the educationist, students and consultants have to say.

Posted by Phillip Morgan on Thursday, August 20, 2015

Let’s improve: Let’s modernise

It can be said that the present way of our lifestyle has changed to a great extent and it, sometimes resulted in the appearance of a better aspect even with the presence of the previous ‘dominant’ form. But in order to make a proper development, the inauguration of such better and innovative aspects is needed. This may lead humankind to a better future with even brighter possibilities.

To know more about online education preferences click here.

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Is The Current Higher Education Effective In Empowering Graduates with Jobs?

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Do you want to build a promising career and earn high salaries? Then it is imperative that you acquire the right skills, knowledge and degree. In this increasingly competitive job market, most employers now prefer candidates who not only own a college degree, but also have the necessary skills. But is our higher education system successful in preparing our youth for the growing demands of the job market? Let’s take a look….

                        Dealing with skills shortage 

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At present, almost 73 million young individuals are searching for jobs across the globe. But the striking fact is there are millions of job vacancies which are still unfilled. Did you know that more than 5 million job positions remained vacant in the United States back in May 2015, where over 8 million youths were searching for jobs in the nation?

In the nations surveyed recently by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), more than 39 million people are current not in education or employment (NEET). The statistics are revealing a depressing glimpse of our world. Most universities and colleges worldwide are constantly creating new and qualified graduates.

                  What do Employers Need? 

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But employers claim there is a serious shortage of talented and skilled individuals. Today, a college degree is simply not enough for getting a job, according to most employers. Then what do recruiters want from you?

Sebastien Turbot, Curator and Director of Content and Programs at World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), wrote in a recent article

“In today’s technology-driven economies, the demand for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skilled labor is escalating.”

He added “In addition, labor demands are transitioning from “savoir-faire” to “savoir-être”, with a growing focus on “soft skills” or non-cognitive skills. Survey after survey indicate that companies around the world want to hire employees with four key traits: communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking.”

              Preparing for the Job Market 

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Experts believe that by 2025, millennials will comprise almost 75 per cent of the workforce. However, it is believed that a prominent number of them will probably never be employed as a traditional employee. Now we are increasingly moving in to an age where most mundane tasks will be effectively performed by machines. Hence, it has become highly important that we strive to create a workforce with “creative entrepreneurs” with individuals who are empathetic, innovative and empowered to deal with various challenges.

But is our higher education able to prepare young people for the demanding job market? The Education to Employment report from McKinsey reveals that about 70 per cent of teachers, who were surveyed, think that fresh graduates are equipped for today's job market. However, around 50 per cent of employers and students tend to contradict this view.

                  What is the solution? 

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Turbot wrote “Who is responsible for the skills mismatch? Educators? Employers? Or should we blame students for choosing the wrong subjects? In my opinion, before delving deeper into this raging blame game, we need to address the “perceptions gap”. The McKinsey report is just one of the many indicators to reflect that educators, entrepreneurs and young graduates are not on the same page.”

                   Then what can We Do?

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The first thing that needs to be done is to get professors and executives to work together and focus on reducing the gap the education needed and the education offered. Secondly, we need to make the students an important part of the process so that they have a clear idea about what they are getting and what the business world wants.

Turbot added “So before we set off to redesign a new curriculum or decide that corporate universities and programs are the only to resolve the job market’s real needs, educators, learners and employers have to step into each other’s worlds.”

Can higher education empower our students? Share your thoughts and views by commenting below.

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How Online MBA Can Help Professionals Succeed ?

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Can studying an MBA take your career to new height? Absolutely! Today, pursuing business education is considered highly important as the global job market has become intensely competitive. Earning an MBA will give you an edge over others and open new career avenues for you to advance. However, I believe that an MBA can prove most beneficial for you if you study online instead of a traditional course. Why? Let’s have a look...

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Why Study MBA Online

With rising tuition fees at most business schools and universities worldwide, pursuing traditional MBA programmes simply does not seem feasible any more. This is perhaps the reason why more and more students, as well as educators, are praising the explosion of online MBA courses. Let's face it, the on-campus business courses simply cannot match the accessibility, effectiveness, flexibility, affordability and convenience offered by online MBA programmes. With the advent of online learning, business education has been completely transformed. Now several reputed B-schools and universities across the globe are offering MBA in business management programmes online to meet the growing demand from students and to reach learners located in the most remote regions.

In fact, MBA online courses have now enabled professionals to acquire necessary business skills, earn an additional degree and advance their careers, without leaving their current employment. You can now find several professionals studying business online to grab the next big promotion and rise to management roles.

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Enabling Professional Development

Although there are some who are apprehensive about the value of an MBA degree, but business leaders like Dubai-based David Hadley believe it can make a significant difference to your career. The 41 year old chief executive of Mediclinic Middle East, became a part of the parent company in South Africa back in 1993. He worked through the years from being a filing clerk to a hospital manager eventually becoming the head of Middle East operations. Currently, Hadley manages 2 hospitals and over 10 clinics across the UAE. However, he believes that his last promotion may not have occurred if he had not pursue an online MBA in business course from the University of Liverpool in the UK.

Regarding the importance of an MBA, he said “I always felt that I had a lot of work experience, and a lot of the decisions I was making were based on the experience I had gained. The thing the MBA did for me was that it explained why. It showed me why we did certain things. And I changed many of my perspectives in terms of management.”

Hadley, raised in the UK and South Africa, eventually shifted to Dubai in 2007 before the Mediclinic City Hospital was opened. Although he was facing significant workload, he still chose to study an online MBA. The knowledge and skills he gained during the course immediately started influencing his business decisions which resulted in improving the services of the hospital. According to him, studying MBA online while doing a full time job can surely be daunting and challenging, but it pays off lucratively, which in Hadley's case was his promotion in 2009.

He said “I was working full-time, and then after work I’d just start studying. I’d basically finish work at 5 or 6pm, and then I’d start studying until midnight, I did that five days a week. And on the weekends I did it for 12 hours. So it was about an extra 40 to 50 hours a week of studying, and you had to find that time from somewhere. So it put a lot of pressure on my family, it was tough. But it was worth it.”

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Study Online & Build Your Career

So if you are focused on building your career and move on to leadership roles in future, then it's about time you got enrolled in an online MBA course. Pursuing an online programme will enable you to study MBA in UK right from the convenience of your own home and earn an accredited degree from leading UK universities. Moreover, with flexible schedules you will be able to work full time and also find enough time to focus on your studies. Regarding the benefits of studying online, Hadley added “In a classroom setting people don’t always give their views. But in an online setting people can challenge you regardless of who or what you are, because they feel safe in their own home... You learn skills that are universal. It’s easier if you understand the business, which I do in health care.”

The Bottom Line

Once you have gained the required business skills and knowledge, your MBA degree and your work experience will fetch you the best job opportunities and empower you to advance your career. You will not only earn more money, but also build a better life for yourself and your family.

Have started your online MBA course yet? Feel free to share your opinions and experiences with me by leaving your comments below.

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Nigerian NGO Grants Scholarships to Students in Makoko Slum

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Do you think that education is mandatory for every child in the modern society? Can education truly help a child to face the challenges of the future and achieve success?

The answer is a definite yes. Education is simply the process of acquiring knowledge that helps a person to mentally develop in order to adapt to the changing dynamics of the modern world. Your educational qualification will help you in securing a good job, advance your career and achieve success in life. However several under-developed nations lack proper infrastructure for providing its civilians with the opportunity to get basic formal education.

Nigeria is among those countries where formal education for the youth has become a serious concern. Although the most of the state governors are trying hard to cope with the issue, but due to lack of qualified teachers and shortage of adequate schools the education system has taken a toll in the last few years.

However, there is still hope as several NGOs (Non-Government Organisations) are working towards developing the Nigerian education system. Recently, CEE-HOPE, a Nigeria based NGO, has granted scholarship to 10 children in Makoko, a slum situated in Lagos. This grant will help the children to get free primary education. Makoko has one of the highest rates of children who are not formally educated.

According to a UNESCO report published in June 2013, Nigeria has the maximum unschooled children in the world and is estimated to be around 10 million. This situation will surely have some serious social implications in the future which will adversely affect the economy of the country.

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The scholarship offered by CEE-HOPE (Centre for Children's Health Education, Orientation and Protection) has brought many students back to school after spending a long time at home. The recipients of the scholarship, which includes children from ages four to eight, were excited to go to school for the first time. The children were admitted to the Whanyinna Primary School which is built on stilts and is located on the lagoon at Makoko. The NGO also provided the students with schools bags, shoes and school uniform as well.

Whanyinna Nursery and Primary School is among the most prominent schools in the region. The institute was donated and constructed in 2009 by the Yatch Club, a group of foreign visitors troubled by the illiteracy rate in Makoko. The school has a total of 215 students and one of the very few English medium schools.

The generous offer from CEE-HOPE Nigeria has not only encouraged the teachers and students, but has also pleased and elated the parents as most of them are unable to pay the N30 daily school fees.

CEE-HOPE (Centre for Children's Health Education, Orientation and Protection) is a Nigerian NGO that works for the betterment of children’s health, rights, welfare and overall development. They are striving to help the children who reside especially in the rural areas and the urban slums. Mrs. Betty Abah, the Executive Director of the organisation was motivated to reinstate hope to the child of the region with their Harbingers of Hope Scholarship which is aimed for the needy and impoverished children.

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The Harbinger of Hope Scholarship aimed to support 30 children in the pilot programme and the initial batch included 5 poor students from Ikotun. The 2^nd batch of scholarships under the Harbingers of Hope scholarship programme was given to the students in Makoko. The next batches will be granted to schools in the Otto and Badia communities.

 The scholarship includes expenses related to school uniform, reading and writing materials, school fees and other charges. The NGO has made this their basic agenda for their welfare and scholarship programmes for needy children. Even though the nation has plenty of resources, it has not been able to nurture the potentials of its young population. Mrs. Abah also aims to diminish the numbers of unschooled children with such gestures.

CEE-HOPE wishes to eliminate the problems related to illiteracy and develop these children for a better future. It is only through proper education that the children will be open to learning new skills and develop the willpower to face the challenges of the ever changing world. The NGO plans to grant scholarships to even more students in the region and grow the number of beneficiaries gradually.

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Open Distance Learning to Strengthen Nigeria’s Educational Standards

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Education in Africa is no more a debatable topic like what it had been for years. With the rapid growth in technology moreover, countries like Nigeria have now managed to bring over 4.8 million internet users. This is indeed an amazing achievement and a matter of pride for the African continent where Nigeria has emerged to be the only nation with the highest population online.

Furthermore, the importance of distance learning has been recognised by the Nigerian National Policy in providing lifelong education, which would act as the base for the education policy of the country. It also stated that an individual after completing junior secondary education will be allowed to either continue full-time courses by blending work and studies, or embark on a full-time employment without considering the option to pursue higher studies later.

Objectives of the Nigeria National Policy

The Nigeria National Policy clearly stated their objectives of offering open and distance learning:

• Giving individuals the opportunity to access quality education and ensuring justice in educational opportunities for those who had been denied earlier
• Helping employers meet their needs through special certificate courses for their employees at work
• Inspire globalisation among students dealing with tertiary education curriculum
• Restructure the internal and external effect of brain drain in tertiary institutions by taking help of teachers or experts regardless of their workplaces

The policy also set guidelines as what should be the nature of Open Distance Learning. Here are some of them:

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• There must be interactive texts available for both teaching and learning for all academic open distance learning courses. With the help of DVDs, USBs and CD-ROMs, interactive learning will be strengthened to a good extent
• Students will not be required to attend classes or sit face to face with their instructors. However, in case of examinations or practicum, students will have to be present.
• As far as the system of study centres is concerned, it should not only ensure academic support but social support must also be given
• The partnership creators especially in university centres will be offering reasonable means of providing study centres.
• There will be continuous assessment as well as summative assessment that would include examinations and portfolios enabling validation of achievement.

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The National Open University of Nigeria has now matriculated more than 1,400 students who had earlier applied for different university open courses. Even the director and the Vice Chancellor, Magaret Boro, emphasised on the fact as why it’s very important for students to enrol with NOUN in comparison to the traditional universities. “Young people were not coming here before because they thought it is a school for the elderly. But today, they are coming even for their first degrees. Capacity in conventional universities is inadequate and so they come here,” said Magaret. (Source:bit.ly/1gDW3r6)

So, students in Africa who have been deprived from pursuing higher studies under accredited universities would now be able to make their dreams come true with the benefits of open distance learning courses. Although Nigeria has already achieved loads of success in these years, plenty of innovations are on the way to strengthen its educational standards.

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