The Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Olufemi Peters, has welcomed new students of the Africa Centre of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL), and urged them to be more proactive and open to learning so as to leave behind the culture from previous educational experiences.

He stated this at the 6th postgraduate orientation exercise of the centre, which was held virtually from the 23rd through the 27th of October, 2023 with students, principal officers, and management staff of the university in attendance.

Peters, lauded ACETEL as a valuable contribution from the World Bank, while commending them for their optimal level of lecture delivery and learner-centredness.

The VC emphasised the infusion of technology into every facet of education, making ACETEL an ideal choice for students.

In her welcome address, the ACETEL director, Prof. Grace Jokthan, encouraged the newly-admitted students to demonstrate rigour and integrity, to actively participate in class activities, share knowledge, and pursue excellence and diversity while fulfilling the contract they had entered.

She highlighted ACETEL's commitment to providing a world-class intellectual experience, extensive global access, diverse opportunities for interaction, supervision from experts both nationally and internationally, and valuable internship opportunities which has seen over 3,000 trained students.

Jokthan expressed gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor, the NOUN management team, and global partners for their support, emphasising the importance of students’ feedback to enhance the programme.

The new students were also encouraged by the array of speakers to collaborate, engage, demonstrate creativity, globalise, and manage their time properly, emphasising that distance should not be a barrier to their success.

In his vote of thanks, the Deputy Director of ACETEL, Dr. Johnson Opataye, expressed appreciation for the continued support from the university community and the global partners, making the orientation and programme a resounding success.