By Mustapha Yauri
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has taken its promotion and advocacy to the United Arab Emirates where it showcased its Distance Learning Education Programmes.
The Director, Public Affairs Directorate of the University, Malam Auwalu Umar, said this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Zaria.
The management team while in Dubai had series of high-level meetings with Edoxi Training Institute, a strategic partner of ABU based in United Arab Emirates, the statement said.
It quoted the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala saying the ABU Distance Learning Centre which is rated as the best in Nigeria by the National Universities Commission (NUC) was the right vehicle to drive the initiative.
Bala said it was all about collaboration between ABU and Edoxi Training Institute towards promoting ABU programmes in the UAE, noting that the effort had yielded results as two organisations agreed to collaborate on a number of workable areas.
“They resolved on the use of Edoxi Training Institute’s facilities for the purpose of conducting ABU Distance Learning Centre (ABUDLC) exams as well as the use of its office by ABUDLC as resource and information centre.
“Edoxi Training Institute also accepted to promote ABUDLC within UAE and Asia as a whole, in addition to identifying for ABU a number of programmes that portend huge patronage within Asia, if delivered via robust online means,” the statement read in part.
It added that it was further agreed that the institute would work to see that all identified short training courses were certified by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), UAE.
The statement said the team had an interaction with Nigeria’s Ambassador to the UAE, Mr Mohammed Dansanta Rimi, in Abu Dhabi.
The vice-chancellor expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Embassy in Abu Dhabi for the support given to the university and urged that the Embassy should continue to promote its causes over there.
Responding, Rimi described the initiative by ABU to promote its academic programmes through the Distance Learning Centre beyond Nigeria as laudable.
The envoy thanked the vice-chancellor and his team for the visit and pledged to continue to support the university in this direction. (NAN)
