The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, has urged Nigerian universities to embrace innovation in order to be relevant in the 21st century, stressing that universities must evolve from being just degree-awarding institutions to being drivers of innovation, skills and national progress.
Prof. Ribadu made this call recently while delivering his goodwill message at the 4th Public Lecture of the African School of Economics (ASE), Abuja, delivered by Prof. Moses Ochonu of Vanderbilt University, United States.
The Executive Secretary, represented by the NUC Director of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, Mr Ashafa Ladan, stated that Nigerian universities of the 21st century, “like the African School of Economics—the Pan-African University of Excellence—must be radically different” from their 20th century predecessors, adding that they must be “a hub of innovation, a crucible for problem-solving and a launchpad for global competitiveness.”
Prof. Ribadu said graduates of the Nigerian university system “must not only be adaptable, entrepreneurial, and ethically grounded while the research coming from universities must not only inform but also transform, contributing to national development, technological advancement and social wellbeing.”
In his goodwill message, the Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), Prof. Andrew Haruna, commended ASE Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji and the institution for “their unwavering commitment to advancing knowledge.”
He noted that universities are at a crossroads of rapid global transformation and local imperatives, which require that they must critically re-examine their structures, values, and systems to serve better the aspirations of our nation and continent.
Prof. Haruna said Nigerian universities must confront the challenges of infrastructural deficits, funding limitations, brain drain, curriculum relevance and graduate employability.
He also stressed the importance of envisioning a future where universities become hubs of innovation, inclusive excellence and socio-economic transformation.
“Let me commend the African School of Economics for its initiative and bold vision. ASE has already shown a strong sense of purpose in boosting the capacity of African youth and aligning higher education with the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he said.
(Daily Trust)
