The Vice Chancellor of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, has said that NOUN will run a Postgraduate Diploma in Cultural Administration (PGDCA) programme in collaboration with National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) to build the capacity of workers in the culture sector.

Professor Adamu, who stated this when NICO’s Executive Secretary, Associate Professor Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, paid him a courtesy call recently at the Abuja head office of the University, said an administrative course on Cultural Studies is imperative so that Nigerians will be taught how to cooperate with each other cross culturally.

Stating that cross cultural collaboration will give room for cultural acceptance in Nigeria, Adamu, who is a professor in two disciplines: Science Education as well as Media and Cultural Communication, said a committee will be set up immediately to start planning for the collaboration between NOUN and NICO on the Postgraduate Diploma in Cultural Administration.

His words: “I am delighted at your visit. You are most welcome. I welcome NICO with all my heart. I have been part of NICO for a long time before coming to NOUN. I am into Culture. I am interested in indigenous language. I really want to power indigenous language. I am a cultural activist. I am on the same page with NICO. NOUN will look into the possibility of creating Post Graduate Diploma in Cultural Administration (PGDCA) programme in which we will collaborate with NICO. In view of this, we will set up a committee that will plan it. The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Professor Patrick Eya will be the chairman of the Committee.”

Describing the DVC as a man of action, Prof. Adamu said the Committee will be made up of staffers of NOUN and NICO, noting that the University will first get approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC); and that once the go-ahead is given, the committee will commence work.

Earlier in his remarks, the ES, NICO, Prof. Barclays Ayakoroma, who presented the mandate, mission, objectives and programmes of the Institute to the NOUN Management, said NICO has been serving as a focus for orientation in cultural matters, just as the Institute has been consistently spearheading cultural innovations and training in Nigeria.

He added that NICO has used various programmes to promote Nigeria’s culture, such as, Nigerian Indigenous Language Programme (NILP), NICO Media Workshop for Arts Writers and Editors, National Conference for Traditional Rulers, NICO Public Lecture Series, NICO Training School, National Workshop on Repositioning Culture Workers for Improved Productivity, and World Culture Day Lecture, which the VC was the first to present under the present administration of the Institute, among others.

Continuing, Prof. Ayakoroma said, through the NICO Training School, the Institute has engaged in research and documentation of Nigerian cultural heritage, but the challenges remain funding, access road to the permanent cite in Kuje, and the Institute is yet to be accorded proper recognition, among others

Present with the VC, NOUN, were the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), NOUN, Professor Patrick Eya; the Registrar, Mrs. Josephine Akinyemi; Deputy Registrar, Dr. Woleola Ekundayo; Senior Assistant Registrar, AND Mr. Abbas Olawale; while the delegation of the ES-NICO comprised Mr. Alex Omijie, (Director, Cultural Affairs and Orientation, NICO), Alhaji Ibrahim Hussein (Acting Director, Admin and Human Resources), Mr. Law Ikay Ezeh (SA to ES), Dr. Mrs. Regina Onuoha (Coordinator, NICO Training School, Abuja Study Centre), Mrs. Maria Opuzor Rep. of the Acting Director, Research and Documentation), and Ms Fatima Jafaru (CSO to ES), among others.

Nwagbo Pat Obi

NICO Training School

Abuja Study Centre