Former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo has opened up about why he is returning to school.

It was reported a couple of days ago that the ex-president enrolled for a Master/PhD in theology at the

National

Open University of Nigeria, NOUN. Obasanjo said his reason for this step is to deepen his relationship and knowledge of God. He added that this move was not to become a pastor as speculated by some people but to understand God and serve him better.

“Learning should be a continuous process and if you can do it and learn without the formality of a university, all well and good. But I chose to learn and continue to learn by other means and through the discipline and the formality of the university system,” he said, after completing his registration at the university’s main study centre in Lagos.

He also revealed that getting an education was not his only motivation. He expressed his goal which is to bring more publicity to the institution itself.

“I wanted to throw a bit of limelight on this institution; knowing fully well that this country at no time in the foreseeable future would be able to provide built and walled universities for all the Nigerian students who want to have higher education.”

Apparently, this will be a fruitful move as the Dean of School of Arts and Social Sciences, David Otubanjo has stated that the number of students that enrolled at the university quadrupled following the former president’s enrollment in 2009.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Vincent Tenebe, said the number of enrolled students jumped from 32,000 with 16,000 of them being active students in 2010 to 308,000 enrolled students with 16,000 of them being active in 2014. He said its study centres had grown from 32 to 55 in the same period while the institution’s staff strength grew from 820 in 2010 to 25, 000 in 2014.

“Your intervention in educational development in Nigeria by resuscitating the National Open University, ensuring vigorous development of the institution, enrolling as a student and graduating with flying colours and yet today returning for a higher qualification of PHD can never be over emphasised,” said Mr. Tenebe to Mr. Obasanjo.

Obasanjo also urged Nigerians, in his speech, to consider the opportunity provided by NOUN. He said the quality of study at the university was not inferior to conventional universities in the country.

Although he refused to open up about his real age, he made sure to encourage Nigerians to seek knowledge wherever they can find it.

“I’ve told my children that when I have difficulty I’d tell them to come and teach me. This proves that there should be no shame in learning and any knowledge that you acquire becomes your own, nobody has to take it away from you”

It was reported yesterday that the former country leader is set to enroll as a graduate student at the headquarters of the National Open University of Nigeria, Lagos, on September 30. Obasanjo, who obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in 2009, confirmed the information that he would be back to school for a doctorate degree, starting with a Master’s degree.