- Ribadu warned that universities must stop acting like degree factories and start solving real-world problems through innovation.
- Haruna urged Nigerian universities to confront brain drain, funding gaps and curriculum irrelevance without further delay.
The executive secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, has called on Nigerian universities to embrace innovation.
Ribadu said institutions must evolve from merely awarding degrees to becoming hubs of innovation and national transformation in the 21st century.
He made this known at the 4th Public Lecture of the African School of Economics, Abuja, delivered by Prof. Moses Ochonu.
Represented by the NUC director of skills development and entrepreneurship, Mr Ashafa Ladan, Ribadu said modern universities must not remain in the 20th century.
“They must be a hub of innovation, a crucible for problem-solving and a launchpad for global competitiveness,” he said.
According to him, graduates must be adaptable and ethically grounded, while research must contribute to national progress and wellbeing.
The secretary-general of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof. Andrew Haruna, also called for deep reforms in the system.
He said universities must urgently re-examine their values, systems and structures to meet both global and local expectations.
Haruna noted that issues such as poor infrastructure, brain drain and funding shortages must be tackled head-on.
He described the African School of Economics as bold and visionary, noting its commitment to Africa’s educational transformation.
Delivering the lecture, Prof. Ochonu said Nigerian universities must stop resisting change and embrace multi-disciplinary learning and modern systems.
He said many institutions had lost their cosmopolitan foundation and now serve narrow, parochial interests.
Ochonu decried academic inbreeding, warning that intellectual diversity was under threat in Nigerian public universities.
He said, “Many lecturers continue to skip classes; poor or non-existent supervision and mentorship of postgraduate students persisted.”
He added that many still use outdated lecture notes and publish in predatory, pay-to-print journals with no academic credibility.
Ochonu recommended a Student Bill of Rights to protect learners from academic neglect and exploitation.
He said universities should reward teaching excellence and establish centres for pedagogy to improve the quality of instruction.
He also called for flexible learning systems that allow single-course enrolments and skill acquisition in emerging areas.
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