The VC (middle) alongside principal officers and the visiting SWDC officials
The Managing Director, South- West Development Commission聽(SWDC), Dr. Charles Diji Akinola and his team聽have聽visited the聽headquarters of the聽水果派 of Nigeria聽(NOUN) in聽Abuja,聽where they sought a collaborative relationship with the university.
The visitors, who came on Monday,聽February 23,聽2026聽were received by the Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Uduma聽O.聽Uduma, with principal officers of the聽University.
Akinola said they聽were at the university聽to have strategic collaboration alignment with a vision to establish a regional network of multi-purpose hubs across聽the聽South-West聽region.
The NOUN-SWDC聽collaboration,聽according to the MD, will serve as a foundational pillar within this ecosystem, integrating education delivery, digital infrastructure, youth empowerment, and innovation-led economic development.
He said聽the commission aims to enhance social and human capital development and what they are seeking from NOUN is聽a聽partnership aimed聽establishing聽regional programmes with significant impact.
The managing director聽explained that the region’s population is approximately 50 million, with unmet educational needs.
Akinola聽stated that part of their proposal includes聽establishing study centres and multipurpose ICT hubs and that his commission is also interested in technical and vocational education partnerships which seeks to create a model for regional educational collaboration.
In his response , the Vice-Chancellor,聽Prof. Uduma,聽thanked the MD of SWDC聽for recognising NOUN as a very credible institution to partner with, and assured him that NOUN is ready to collaborate with organisations to achieve its mandates.
He said the institution is unique in Nigeria, with a spread that enables collaboration.
Uduma聽explained that since聽the commission has identified partnership areas, a joint committee will be formed to prioritise and implement ideas.
The committee, he said,聽will consist of members from both sides to create an action plan.
The VC聽said the school is open and willing to work for necessary impacts聽and聽assured that NOUN will give credibility to the collaboration efforts.
The Vice-Chancellor was flanked at the visit by聽Prof. Chiedu Mafiana, DVC Academics;聽Prof. Shehu Usman Adamu, DVC Admin;聽Prof. Christine Ofulue, DVC聽Technology,Innovation and Research;聽Mr.聽Oladipo Ajayi, the Registrar聽and Mallam Nasiru Marafa, Bursar.
Officials from聽the visiting聽SWDC were聽Lateef Ajijola, Executive Director of the聽commission, and Kemi Olomo-Sijuwade, Technical Adviser to the MD.