University of Calabar commences building of Distance Learning Centre 

The University of Calabar has commenced the construction of an Open and Distance Learning Centre within the institution.

The founder of KAM Holdings, Dr. Kamoru Ibitoye Yusuf performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the centre, which would be named “KAM-Wire ODL Building” within the campus of the University of Calabar in Cross River State, Southern Nigeria.

Yusuf, who also received an award of Doctor of Business Management (Honoria Causa) from the institution, expressed the hope that the facility would encourage more Nigerians to embrace education.

According to him, “education remains the bedrock of any society. What has contributed to the growth of western countries is because the people wholeheartedly embrace education.

 “I am passionate about education and we have to teach our youths and provide the necessary facilities like this building for our youths all over Nigeria,”

Also speaking to newsmen at the ceremony, the Deputy Governor of Kwara State, Kayode Alabi commended Dr. Kamoru Yusuf for proposing to build a centre for distance learning as part of his contribution to the growth of education in Nigeria.

“I am not surprised because Dr. Yusuf is a first class industrialists and lover of education. So, deciding to build a centre for the educational development of young Nigerians is worthy of emulation,” Alabi said.

He urged philanthropic Nigerians to contribute their quota to the growth of education and the benefits of the people.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Florence Obi expressed profound gratitude to the Kwara State born Nigerian industrialist for choosing to build a distance learning centre for the institution.

Obi said, “we are indeed very grateful to you for deciding to build an ODL centre for us. When we went to meet him, we presented our challenges to him especially that we wanted to start our distance education programme, which will provide access to many more Nigerians, who do not have the opportunity of coming to do face-to-face contact in the university.

“This will enable us meet the benchmark of the National Universities Commission that for a distance learning programme, you must have a stand alone building labelled as Open and Distance Learning Centre for NUC accreditation,” she stated.

The brief ceremony preceded the awards of diplomas and degrees to more than four thousand students of the University of Calabar.

Confidence Okwuchi