BY: ABDULLAHI ALHASSAN, KADUNA
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the establishment and running of four more programmes at the Distance Learning Centre, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, effective from the 2023/2024 academic session.
The four additional programmes, which are to be run via the Open and Distance Learning mode, are B.Sc Mass Communication, Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLIS), Masters in Accounting and Masters in Disaster and Risk Management (MDRM).
This brings to 21 the total number of academic programmes established and run at the Centre which had only six programmes as of 2020.
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In a Press statement made available to newsmen by Director Public affairs of the University, Auwal Mohammed said a letter from National Universities Commission (NUC) dated 11th June, 2024 and signed by the Commission’s Ag.Director, Open Distance and e-Learning, Dr. Funmilayo Morebise, conveyed the approval to the Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The letter, “Notification of Result of Programme Pre-validation Assessment Visit to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Distance Learning Centre”, explained that the approval followed the programme pre-validation visit to the Centre in April by the NUC five-member panel.
The objective of the visit was to assess the human, material and infrastructural resources available for the delivery of the programmes via open and distance learning (ODL) mode.
According to the letter, the panel’s report was considered by the Commission.
The panel confirmed the availability of the required skilled human resources, learning resources, ICT infrastructure and a robust learning support framework necessary for the effective delivery of content in the running of the programmes.
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“Having considered the panel’s findings and recommendations that Distance Learning Centre of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria has satisfied critical areas of human, ODL infrastructure and course materials requirements for the commencement of the four proposed programmes via the ODL mode,
the commission consequently upholds the recommendations of the panel for the validation of the four proposed programmes,” it said.
The commission also urged the Centre to effect the recommendations made by the panel to further assure quality in the delivery of the programmes.