Former Minister of Health and former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole, has said that given the regular disruptions in the academic calendar and the inadequate infrastructure necessary for universities to function, it has become imperative to interrogate the essence of University education in Nigeria, x-ray its challenges, and suggest probable solutions.
This commentary was made at the 10th Convocation Lecture of the Nile University of Nigeria in Abuja. The lecture with the theme, ‘Rebuilding & repositioning the crumbling walls in Nigerian Universities: A Road map for change,’ played host to stakeholders from the academia, Government, and private sector, among other dignitaries.
Delivering the lecture, Prof. Adewale said this topic was appropriate when public Universities had just returned from an eight months shutdown occasioned by disputes between the staff Unions and the Federal Government. This follows a similar long strike by the academic staff unions of universities in 2020.
Prof. Adewale identified some challenges faced by the Nigerian University system, such as inadequate funds, weak research infrastructure, transparency and accountability, lack of synergy between researchers and users of research outcomes, and perennial strikes, among others.
Prescribing the roadmap for change, he highlighted the following, implementation of the autonomy bill, cost-sharing strategies to reduce the burden of education on the Government, branding, technology & innovation, entrepreneurial education, academia-industry collaborations, and improved web presence.
Prof. Adewale concluded that Nigeria requires universities to interact on international scientific platforms with foreign counterparts to be instrumental in studies that might galvanize Nigeria from poverty to the threshold of socio-economic prosperity. He further charged the private sector to make the universities provide informed solutions to their business problems.
The Vice-Chancellor of Nile University of Nigeria, Prof. Dilli Dogo, had earlier welcomed guests to the lecture and commenced Prof. Adewale for accepting to deliver the 10th Convocation lecture of the University.
Providing some background to the University, he said that Nile University is affiliated with Honoris United Universities, the first and largest pan-African private higher education network with 15 institutions across 10 African countries. He stated that with this affiliation, Nile University is positioned to provide an impactful education for its graduates to enable them to be impactful and productive in society.
Nile University of Nigeria is a private multidisciplinary university established in 2009 and located in Abuja, Nigeria. Nile University is committed to building future generations of professionals and leaders that can thrive and positively impact our globalized world by leveraging academic innovation, state-of-the-art facilities, and great talent. The University currently has six faculties and a School of Postgraduate Studies offering 38 undergraduate programs and 51 postgraduate programs.
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