Former National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega has  lamented that many  universities in Nigeria are producing graduates who are illiterates and  not worthy in character and learning to be given the certificates they parade.

Prof. Jega who spoke at the 14th convocation lecture of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), decried the drop in the quality of graduates from Nigerian universities

“After four or five years of course of study in a tertiary institution, especially in a university. Whenever we mention that someone has been found worthy in learning and in character, people tend to wonder whether learning and character necessarily go together. Well, they do not.

“One can have learning and even be considered learned as lawyers refer to, but with no good character, I’m sorry to say. Also, one can be certificated without learning anything or learning much, and yet have good character.

“But the expectation is that university graduates are positioned for the ideal of having good learning and character. Now, if this ideal has been approximated in Nigerian universities in the past, it now remains a mere aspiration.

“In most cases, regrettably, our universities are certifying illiterates and awarding degrees in many cases to persons with unworthy character. This is aberration. But the expectation is that university graduates are positioned for the ideal of having good learning and character. Why and how is this so? I can only say that there are complicated reasons and complex explanations, but that will be a subject or a topic for another lecture” he said.

Vice Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Olufemi Peters, said the convocation lecture has become a routine in the school and has provided the opportunity for guest lecturers to share knowledge and experience on a particular field.

He gave assurances that NOUN has championed major revolution in the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system of education in Nigeria and beyond