The Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Globe FM, and Albarka Radio, Bauchi State, have expressed their readiness to partner and collaborate with the Bauchi Study Centre of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), to increase public enlightenment about access to higher education in Nigeria.
The two media stations made this known in a separate forum, when the study centre director, Dr. Buba Baba Shani, led a team of staff to the stations on courtesy visits.
While at FRCN Globe FM Bauchi, the General Manager, Malam Aminu Abdullahi Gumbi, commended the university for creating a flexible system where people can work and study at their own pace and time in a very simple way.
He said a lot of staff of the station are the products of NOUN and the station will keep on encouraging them to further their education in the university because they have seen the impact and testified the quality of education of the university.
Gumbi, who lamented the incessant strike actions by the conventional universities, said this will give an advantage to NOUN to increase the level of its intakes for people to seek for admission to various programmes of the university.
The General Manager said public awareness of the activities of the university in the state is very low which resulted to low patronage and participation of northerners to the system.
He said due to the low level of publicity and awareness of the activities of the centre, many people hardly avail themselves to the opportunities offered by the university.
As such, he assured the station’s readiness to collaborate with the centre in aggressive public enlightenment of its services and activities for the development of humanity.
Gumbi said FRCN Globe FM is not only leading in Bauchi but the entire North-east and second within the FRCN family.”Our reach expands across neigbouring states of Plateau,Taraba,Adamawa,Jigawa and parts of Borno.
While at Albarka Radio station, the General Manager, Malam Dauda Ciroma expressed his delight for the visit and assured the team that the station will work together with the study centre to make people more enlightened about the activities and the operations of NOUN in Bauchi State.
Ciroma, who instantly offered 50% discount for any of the services rendered to the university, assured that the management of the station will look at a programme where NOUN will be aligned to move the study centre forward.
Earlier, the centre director told his host that the essence of the visit was for the new management of the centre to familiarise and further strengthen the existing relationship between the university and the stations.
The director, who expressed his concern over low level of enrollment at the centre despite the flexibility of the system, explained that the university has been reinvigorated and gazetted which removed all bottlenecks and impediments to its operations.
Shani said the university intends to develop and sustain a long-lasting relationship with the media stations in the promotion of higher education that will translate to sustainable development.
While commending the stations for their rich programmes, Shani said the collaboration with stations will help people in the state to avail themselves and embrace the system for the development of humanity
He called on the staff of the two media stations and the general public to take advantage of the institution to further their education in good time as the university operates without embarking on strike.
The director used the opportunity to condole the Globe FM General Manager over the demise of his daughter and prayed to almighty Allah to grant her eternal rest.
