As the global pandemic contagion named coronavirus continues to disrupt academic activities globally, the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, has said its newly admitted students will undergo an online matriculation ceremony on Saturday, June 13, 2020.

It is instructive to note that this would be the first time in history the institution will subject its admitted students through the process.

A press release signed by the NOUN Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Ibrahim Sheme, explained that the new development was due to the ongoing lockdown of the Nigerian education system because of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Sheme explained that during the event, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, would deliver his address, followed by administering of the oath of the 19th matriculation on the students by the Registrar, Mr. Felix Idoka, both from remote locations without the students being physically present.

The statement added that the virtual event would be beamed live through the Zoom application.

It, therefore, advised the students to download the Zoom application to enable themselves to participate from home or any other location, adding that the application password would be communicated to them soon.

Meanwhile, the university has withdrawn its earlier announcement that students could collect academic gowns from their various study centres for the matriculation ceremony, saying it was issued in error.

A statement from the registrar’s office noted that it would be quite impossible to conduct an exercise of that nature physically due to the lockdown.

It revealed that the centre directors have been told not to open any study centre or allow a gathering of students “until the ban on all tertiary institutions is lifted” by the federal government.