University Education System in Nigeria: Matters Arising

By Prof Eyitayo Ogunbodede

1.         INTRODUCTION

I thank the Achievers University for inviting me to give this Foundation Lecture, which is part of a Series aimed at discussing topical issues that will contribute to the improvement of tertiary education in Nigeria.

The Federal Government of Nigeria granted Achievers University the licence to operate as a private University on December 11, 2007 and it opened its doors for academic pursuit on the 2^nd of April, 2008.

Let me seize this opportunity to congratulate the University for the success achieved over the last eleven years, and specifically for successfully nurturing eight (8) batches of students to maturity and imbibing in them the spirit of the motto of the University – Knowledge, Integrity and Leadership. I am glad that the university over the past years has focused on its stated mission, which is “to provide the enabling environment – physical and academic – for the production of competent and quality graduates who would be self-reliant, highly productive and globally relevant in every sphere of human endeavour.

I would like to extend my warm felicitation to all members of the Board of Trustees, the Governing Council, Principal Officers, Members of Senate, Deans of Faculties, Directors, Heads of Departments and Units, Staff, Students, Alumni, friends and well -wishers who have supported the University. The members of the Idasen and Owo communities and indeed Ondo State in general deserve commendation for supporting the establishment of the University, sharing the vision of Honorable Dr. Bode Ayorinde (the founder), justifying the existence of the University and adding to its value.

2.         HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO FORMAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

The African society has always cherished education and the aim of traditional African education is to produce an individual who is honest, respectable, skilled, cooperative and conforms to the social order of the day. Fafunwa[1] identified seven key objectives of our traditional education which are to (i) develop the child’s latent physical skill; (ii) develop character; (iii) inculcate respect for elders and those in position of authority; (iv) develop intellectual skills; (v) acquire specific vocational training and develop a healthy attitude towards honest labour; (vi) develop a sense of belonging and participate actively in family and community affairs, and (vii) understand, appreciate and promote the cultural heritage of the community at large. These objectives are geared towards producing what the Yoruba would summarize as “Omoluabi”.  These attributes are gladly embraced by the motto of Achievers University as stated earlier “Knowledge, Integrity and Leadership”. It must be noted that the African educational experience is never complete without the inculcation of our culture; hence, for example, the motto of Obafemi Awolowo University is “For Learning and Culture”.

Although Islam predated Christianity in Nigeria by over 300 years[2], Christian missionaries introduced formal education and the main objective was to use the school as a means for evangelism. The introduction of formal education into Nigeria is indeed a very interesting history but time will not permit us to delve into it. Three hundred years of slavery drained the resources of West Africa and left the sub-region poor, dependent, colonial and disorientated. The impact of the slave trade, therefore, had tremendous effect on the “civilizing” mission of the church in Nigeria, which composed mainly of Christian education and Christian evangelism.

The early primary and, later the, secondary schools were Christian oriented. The missionaries carried out their mission with the approval and support of British colonial officials. Fafunwa noted that ‘A good citizen in Nigeria and elsewhere between 1850 and 1960 meant one who was African by blood, Christian by religion and British or French in culture and intellect. All others who were Muslims or animists were only tolerated or accommodated.’[3]

The first known school was established by Mr and Mrs De Graft in Badagry and was named “Nursery of the Infant Church”.[4] Most of the 50 pupils were children of Sierra Leone emigrants, although a few of the converts also sent their children to the school. The Methodists established the first schools in Nigeria though; the Church Missionary Society (CMS Mission) made the most important contribution to education in the early period.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his political party, the Action Group, introduced free Education to the Western Region in 1955. It was thoroughly planned. Fagbulu (2010) had this to say about the programme:

 ….. from 1955 in the Western Region of Nigeria, every school aged (and over-aged) children went to school to learn without paying school fees. Parents registered their children willingly and learners were eager to learn and be educated. Teachers practiced their trade professionally. Teachers were knowledgeable, committed and willing to educate their pupils and students.

The situation today with the public primary and secondary schools is very different. Although free education is now for all Nigerian children at the primary school level, under the Universal Basic Education, it is not as successful as in the past. The quality of education in public schools has continued to deteriorate since independence and what started with the primary schools has extended to the secondary schools and the tertiary institutions, including Government universities. Quality education at the primary, secondary school and tertiary levels now seem restricted to the private institutions and these are growing by the day.

3.         LANDMARKS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

(i)        The Yaba Higher College

Due to agitations that started in the 1800s, the government in 1908 started to provide some form of higher training by government departmental training schemes. The policy however was to train the lower echelon only. In 1927, the government decided to start a medical school to train Nigerians locally for a diploma valid only in Nigeria. This medical school opened at Yaba in 1930. By 1934 it had transferred some of its activities to the Higher College, Yaba, which provided pre-medical training and other courses. The government of Sir Donald Cameron on 19 January 1934 officially opened the Yaba Higher College. Although the plan was to admit 20 students annually into the medical programme, the intake ranged between six and eight annually. The students study for six and a half years; a premedical course of one and a half years, a preclinical course of two years and a clinical course of three years. In 1940, the course was extended by another year and diplomas were awarded.[5] A total of 62 eventually graduated. Yaba Higher College suffered immensely during the Second World War when the army acquired its campus and medical school for war purposes and the student body was dispersed.[6] The College was finally absorbed by the University College Ibadan in 1947, fifteen years after its establishment. Although the medical programme was established at the University College Ibadan in 1948, preclinical training course continued at Yaba until 1950.

(ii)       The Elliot Commission

The setting up of the Elliot Commission in June 1943 marked a new era in the history of higher education in West Africa. The Commission was requested ‘to report on the organization and facilities of the existing centres of higher education in British West Africa, and to make recommendations regarding future university development in that area’. The Commission which was headed by Sir (Colonel) Walter Elliot (MP), comprised 14 members, three of them Africans; Reverend I. O. Ransome-Kuti (Representing Nigeria), K. A. Korsah (Representing Gold Coast, now Ghana), and E. H. Taylor-Cummings (Representing Sierra Leone). The British members included Dr Julian Huxley, Mr Arthur Creech Jones (MP), and Dr Margaret Read of London University Institute of Education. The Commission submitted two reports to the Secretary of State for the Colonies; the Majority Report supported by nine members of the Commission including the Chairman and the three African members, and the Minority Report supported by five members led by Creech Jones and including Margaret Read and Julian Huxley. The majority group consisted largely of the members of the British Conservative Party and the minority group consisted of the members of the British Labour Party and the Liberal Party. The two reports led to a wave of protests in the United Kingdom because of their political implications, and in West Africa because of national pride.[7]

The majority recommended the establishment of a University College in Nigeria, to be located at Ibadan, and another on the Gold Coast (Ghana). The Commission felt Ibadan had advantage over Lagos because it is not crowded and had space for expansion. Ibadan then with a population of 400,000 was the fourth largest city in Africa and the largest in tropical Africa. The hospital at Adeoyo and the government owned Jericho General Hospital were already in existence. Yaba Higher College (established in 1932 and formally opened in 1934) and the Yaba Medical School (opened in 1930) were to form the nucleus of staff, students and equipment of the new College. The Commission also recommended ‘certain reorganizations and new developments’ at the existing Fourah BayCollege in Freetown to serve both Sierra Leone and the Gambia. The University Colleges in Nigeria and on the Gold Coast would offer courses in Arts and Science. The College in Nigeria was also to have professional schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Agriculture, Engineering, Forestry, Veterinary Science and Teacher training while that of the Gold Coast would have an Institute of Education to conduct research and teacher training courses. All the University Colleges in West Africa were to have ‘the closest possible contact with the British universities’. In practical terms, they recommended that the Colleges be “in special relationship” with the University of London, although Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone might wish to continue its association with Durham University in England.

The Minority Report of the Elliot Commission while accepting in principle the immediate necessity for establishing institutions of higher learning averred

In opposition to our colleagues, we recommend the immediate establishment of only one institution of university rank, to serve the whole of British West Africa. This should be named the West African University College, and should be situated at Ibadan. We also recommend that each of the main dependencies should possess a territorial College. For the present, they should be devoted to providing courses to intermediate level; to the training of teachers and social welfare workers; to adult education and extra-mural activities.[8]

On most of the other recommendations, the minority group agreed with the majority. Another Commission comprising 17 people headed by Mr Justice Cyril Asquith was set up two months after the Elliot Commission. The Asquith Commission was to examine what principles should govern higher education in the colonies generally, and to explore areas of cooperation between universities and other appropriate bodies in Britain and institutions of higher learning in the colonies. Therefore, the recommendations of the Commission essentially complemented that of the Elliot commission.

Fafunwa gave an insight into the initial challenges of the University College, Ibadan. The first five years was a difficult period. The public press was critical of the institution and even refused to cooperate with it. The reasons were firstly that Nigeria wanted a university but was given a University College, and secondly that the College administration (or those who were responsible for its control) had not thought it necessary to make it peoples own college, although it was financed from their taxes. The College experienced staffing difficulties and had to depend largely on the services of a number of civil servants seconded from government departments. Further details of the problems encountered during the foundation and early years of the college had been comprehensively documented by Kenneth Mellamby, its first Principal (1947 to 1953) in his book The birth of Nigeria’s university (1958).[9]

(iii)      The Ashby Commission

Another landmark in higher education is the Ashby Commission. In March 1959, after consultation with the three regional governments, the Federal Minister of Education, the Hon. Aja Nwachukwu, appointed a Commission on Post-School Certificate and Higher Education in Nigeria under the Chairmanship of Sir Eric Ashby. The Report of the Ashby Commission was presented to the government in September 1960. The Commission advised the Nigerian government on needs in the field of post -school certificate and higher education in the country over ‘the next 20 years’. The report showed that the estimated needs for both intermediate and high-level manpower in the next decade outstripped not only the actual supply rate but also the estimated capacity of the existing institutions.

The Commission made far-reaching recommendations which did not only cut across the length and breadth of the Nigerian educational system but which have also had great impact on the development of education in the country today. Among the recommendations was a proposal on the establishment of a National Universities Commission and the fact that enrolment in the universities should reflect national needs in terms of technical and non-technical fields. It proposed that the University College Ibadan should move away from its conservative position, widen its curriculum and develop into a full university and that the federal government should give support to the development of the New University of Nigeria, planned in 1955 and opened a few weeks before the publication of the Ashby Report in 1960. It recommended that a university be established in the north using the old site of the Nigerian College in Zaria as its base and another university in Lagos with day and evening degree courses in business, commerce and economics. After consideration of the Ashby Report the federal government issued a report on “Education Development 1961-1970: Sessional Paper No. 3 of 1961”. The report agreed to the establishment of five universities: at Ibadan, Ife, Lagos, Nsukka and Zaria.

4.         THE ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA

There are now 170 universities in Nigeria made up of 43 Federal, 48 State and 79 Private, at various levels of growth and development. There has been a phenomenal growth of private universities over state and federal universities and this trend has continued.

Figure 1. Federal, State and Private Universities in Nigeria with Years of Establishment

Figure 2. The Growth of Private Universities in Nigeria (Total=79).

The federal universities essentially share same governance structure, common funding sources, and common personnel structure. They are essentially controlled and over-regulated by the Federal Ministry of Education through the National Universities Commission. It is disheartening that universities in Nigeria have not been able to effectively leverage on the enormous human and natural resources available to them, for the attainment of the enviable height envisaged by the generality of stakeholders.

Section 8 (59)[10] of the Nigerian National Policy on Education (Federal Ministry of Education, 2004) outlined the following as the aims of Nigeria’s higher education:

• Contribution to national development through high level manpower training.
• Development of the intellectual capabilities of the individual to understand and appreciate their local and external environment.
• Acquisition of both physical and intellectual skills which enables the individual to be self-reliant and a useful member of the society
• Promotion and encouragement of scholarships and community services.
• Promotion of national understanding and interaction

Section 8 (60) of the document also stated that higher education in Nigeria should vigorously pursue these goals through:

• Teaching and Learning
• Research and development, as well as knowledge generation and discrimination, and international cooperation
• Dedicated service to the communities through extra-mural and consultancy service

The decay that affected the public primary and secondary schools is now rapidly creeping into our public tertiary institutions. This aberration should never have been allowed in the universities judging by this description by Okigbo of what a university should be:

Among objects of human enterprise – I may say it surely without extravagance, Gentlemen, – none higher or nobler can be named, than that which is contemplated in the erection of a University. To set on foot and to maintain in life and vigour a real University, is confessedly, as soon as the word “University” is understood, one of those greatest works, great in their difficulty and their importance, on which are deservedly expanded the rarest intellects and the most varied endowments. For, first of all, it professes to teach whatever has to be taught in any whatever department of human knowledge, and it embraces in its scope the loftiest subjects of human thought, and the richest fields of human inquiry. Nothing is too vast, nothing too subtle, nothing too distant, nothing too minute, nothing too discursive, and nothing too exact to engage its attention.[11]

Aboyade as far back as 1978 noted that most, if not all, who were in our institutions of higher learning, where scholarship is expected to be promoted and nurtured, seem to be in these institutions, whether as students or staff, mainly as a way of escaping from the general problems of poverty.[12] Most students would appear to be attending our universities today simply to acquire what is characteristically referred to as “meal tickets.” Sadly, these are seen by many only as their passport to jobs and to all the good things of life. However, the role of a university should be much more than mere vocational training for the job market. The situation is now so bad that even the degrees awarded no longer suffice for entry into the Nigerian job market.

There is an increasing lack of confidence in University education as a means of improving societal recognition, increasing the standard of living and securing the future. When the Late Pa Michael Adekunle Ajasin returned from London to Owo as a graduate in 1947, the entire community gave him a tumultuous welcome. Pa Ajasin had this to say:

“In Nigeria of that time, travelling overseas was a highly prestigious thing. Those privileged to do so automatically became the elites and envies of the societies.…… Therefore, it is perhaps needless to say that my arrival was a carnival that lasted for days[13].”

Whatever your level of education in Nigeria today, it may not equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary for self-employment or secure for you a good job or means of livelihood. University education no longer guarantee employment because it has seized to be functional education or need-directed. The current attention to Entrepreneurship in the Universities seem to be “scratching the surface” and when closely analysed, the achievements may be a far-cry from the amount that has been invested in the last few years.

A university is meant, among other things, to generally cultivate the mental skills of both staff and students; to symbolize and maintain in the society the respect for intellectual excellence, truth, honesty, curiosity and inquisitiveness. The transmission of knowledge and the capacity to sustain excellence, to produce relevant research results and to offer the society convincing and intelligent social criticism has been dwindling very rapidly in our universities. This has resulted in societal stagnation rather than national development. A large body of Nigerian universities’ staff today are there only to make a living, and escape the social and economic poverty that is easily discernible in the society. The recruitment process has also been thoroughly compromised in most universities resulting in the hiring of mediocre and inappropriate personnel as instruments for the generation and dissemination of knowledge, scholarship and innovation. There is a total deviation from the pursuit of scholarship and commitment to research and national development. We must now start to retrace our steps if the country is to benefit maximally from the financial and social commitments into the educational system. The accelerated growth of private universities is a positive development, although it also constitutes a threat to the continued visibility and relevance of the Public Universities.

In most Federal and State Universities at present, the staff-student ratio is abnormal, as teachers are saddled with too many students, leaving little room for effective teaching, guidance and mentoring of students. The teaching and learning facilities are inadequate, where they exist at all; laboratories and workshops have obsolete equipment; libraries are in the worst shape in the older universities and almost non-existent in most of the latter-day universities.  Research funding and avenues for the publication and dissemination of research findings have dwindled and attendance at local and international academic and scientific conferences are no longer available to the majority of academic staff. Opportunities for overseas training and exposure for young scholars have declined and there is gross indiscipline among staff and students. Institutions are being wrecked by internal crises between administration, staff and students unions, leading to closures and strikes, and the disruption of academic calendars and learning in general. There is official interference in the day-to-day administration of the universities and this has caused a gradual erosion of university autonomy.  The poor remuneration of intellectual workers has given rise to brain drain and inability to attract young graduates back into academic jobs. The current pervasive indiscipline, lawlessness, violence, cultism and sundry anti-social behaviours need to be addressed holistically.[14]

This prevailing situation compelled Nzamujo to inquire: “Are Nigerian universities up to this challenge?”[15] He succinctly identified the challenge before Nigerian universities to be

…. how to appropriate and align with the emerging world view and create an enabling institutional framework that will enable us to unleash the production of a critical mass of a new human resource pool that is equipped with the right vision, values, and operational capacities to help us navigate through this difficult and challenging period in our history.[16]

The solution to the problems will require a change of strategy,logic and attitude to national development. A complete re-orientation and paradigm shift is required. It must be noted that though the general mission of all universities upon establishment is to be citadels of learning and development, each must carve a niche for itself, achieving some level of uniqueness, if it must enjoy national and global recognition. In a fast changing and challenging world ruled by vision, clarity of mission and creativity, developing efficient, relevant and functional education system has become the linchpin of socio-economic development.

5.         IMPEDIMENTS TO ACCESSIBLE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

There are a myriad of challenges and impediments to accessible University education in Nigeria. These include:

• Lack of proper and adequate planning. This is further aggravated by the paucity of useful data necessary for planning.
• Poor funding and inappropriate allocation of funds. It is now an accomplished fact that the government alone cannot fund tertiary education. Therefore, to boost revenue, a university must source for a wide range of local and international resources to support its quest for innovation and excellence. The major sources of funding for our Universities are currently from four main streams:
• Federal Government for operational expenditure, capital projects and research
• Partnership with the public and private organizations, locally and internationally,  for the funding of research
• Alumni and other stakeholders for gifts, donations and endowments and
• Internally Generated Revenue from student charges, investments and others.

The TETFund intervention grants have helped to increase productivity and transform the outlook of our tertiary institutions. The TETFund should, however, be extended to private universities, particularly for training, library development and attendance of conferences and workshops. This will give room for better coverage, effectiveness and efficiency. A major challenge, surprisingly, is also the lack of structure and capacity to utilise available funds.

(c)     Poor facilities for teaching, learning and research

(d)    Industrial actions by the Staff and Student Unions leading to irregularity of the academic calendar

(e)     Poor quality and quantity of teaching and non-teaching staff

(f)     Poor quality of the educational output – graduates, research (funded from personal funds and published in poor or predatory journals), contribution to national discourse and State and National development agenda

(g)    Over-regulation by the controlling agencies, Federal Ministry of Education, Professional bodies and the National Assembly

(h)    Cultism

(i)     Academic corruption and other social vices – sexual harassment, extorting students financially and using their labour and expertise without remuneration.

(j)      Failure to cope or meet up with increasing technology.

(k)    Unstable, poorly designed and out-dated curricula

(l)     Poor level of Internationalisation

6.         STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING ACCESS TO EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

Strategies have been developed for improving access to University education. The National Universities Commission (NUC) in 2018 produced a document titled ”Blueprint on rapid revitalization of university education in Nigeria.”

However, I am proposing the following strategies:

• Policies and Strategic Plans: It has now become the norm to have strategic plans. OAU has in recent years formulated three strategic plans to guide the university in refocusing its Vision and Mission and achieving the vision of the founding fathers (2004-2008; 2011-2015; and 2016-2020). The implementation of any strategic plan requires a purposeful, experienced, highly knowledgeable and consistent leadership.
• Regular and Credible Accreditation of Programmes: It is important to undertake regular accreditation of all University programmes. The National Universities Commission (NUC) has been undertaking this assignment since the 1980s. However, there should be International observers on the accreditation teams as the standard is gradually deteriorating to the current situation in the country. As an example, laboratory-based programmes are being accredited even when the supply of electricity is obviously irregular with the explanation that “it is the general situation in our country”. This should never be an acceptable explanation if quality is to be maintained.
• Establishing Centres of Excellence: In order to earn global recognition, institutions and particularly universities of the twenty-first century must distinguish themselves in at least some core areas and avoid the usual “run-of-the-mill” slant that is characteristic of most African institutions. It is now generally agreed that higher education institutions, which clearly identify their areas of comparative strength, will prosper and those that don’t will languish in obscurity. OAU is presently ranked as the leading ICT University in Nigeria and was recently awarded a $5 million grant by the World Bank for the development of a Centre of Excellence in Software Engineering. This has provided a unique opportunity for the university to make further impact on ICT deployment at the national and international levels and maintain its lead in this important area. This World Bank Assisted African Centre of Excellence (ACE) programme has now been renewed for another 4 years.
• Prompt Attention to Industrial Disputes to Avoid National Strikes:The incessant national strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), not to mention those of other university-based unions, have led to the cancellation of sessions without the university achieving its goal. Duration of strikes by ASUU alone, between 1993 and 2015, vacillated from one and twenty-eight weeks. [17]

Figure 3.  Duration of National Strikes by the Academic Staff Union of

Universities (ASUU), 1993 to 2015[18]

(v)       Maintaining a Regular Academic Calendar: The irregular academic calendar in our universities has, no doubt, adversely affected the international image, prestige and smooth running of these institutions. It has made the admission and retention of foreign students almost impossible. Also, it has put unnecessary restrictions on the annual and research leaves of staff, with the attendant negative effects on academic and research programme planning.

(vi)      Attaining the Status of World-Class Institutions: The increasing transnational connectedness of higher education systems has changed the landscape for universities. Almost all tertiary institutions now struggle to transcend national borders and operate at a global level. Essentially, a university now must be “World Class” to fulfil the modern expectation for a university. According to Altbach, a world-class university can be conceptualized as ‘an aspirational vision which underpins ambitious and progressive strategic decision making and planning.’[19] Universities now compete globally and many types of Rankings have been introduced for peer comparison. Salmi has identified three complimentary factors that clearly distinguish top universities from the others. They are: a high concentration of talent, abundant resources and favourable governance.[20] Salami warned that ‘to become a member of the exclusive group of world class universities is not something that is achieved by self-declaration’. A world-class university encompasses more than these three overarching factors but their successful alignment through dynamic interaction is a distinguishing characteristic of high ranking universities. The pursuit of a global, world class university should not be at the expense or neglect of national and state relevance and should never diminish the expected contributions to the national challenges and realities. The goal should be for universities to be nested locally and nationally while attaining global status and recognition. Universities must be able to lead the national discourse, support and contribute significantly to national development.

(vii)     Need for Linkages, Collaborations and Networks: A university is expected to be a global community of scholars with staff and students drawn from various parts of the world. Linkages are necessary to strengthen research collaboration, improve teaching and attract sponsorships, fellowships and major grants. Mechanisms should be in place aimed specifically at attracting foreign students and renowned researchers. Programmes that are attractive to foreign students should be identified.

(viii)   Need to Strengthening Research and Research Policies in Tertiary Institutions: Conscious efforts should always be made by all universities to strengthen and expand existing research networks, and to also introduce and encourage the formation of new ones.

(ix)      University Industry Linkage:Universities should partner with industry and serve as an engine for wealth creation, employment generation, poverty reduction and value orientation. Creating an efficient academia/industry interface including establishment of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office (IPTTO), Incubation centres, Technology Parks, R&D Centres, and the endowment of relevant Research Chairs should be treated as priority.

(x)       Staff Discipline, Conflict Resolution and Work Ethics:Staff discipline has been on the decline in our educational institutions. Industrial action is a universal phenomenon but the genesis, implementation and general conduct must be reasonable and geared towards progress and development.

(xi)      University Autonomy: The issue of autonomy in Nigerian Universities has, for many years, been a subject of intense struggles between several Nigerian governments and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). It has led to industrial disputes between the two parties and ASUU subsequently sponsored the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act 2003 that among other things offer new provisions, for the autonomy, management and re-organization of the universities in Nigeria. Major features of the bill include the restoration of the powers of the council on administrative matters and that of the senate on academic matters. It also allowed the participation of students in some aspects of university governance. The bill was passed by both houses of the National Assembly on 3^rd July 2003 and given assent by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 10 July 2003. Every opportunity should be explored to strengthen and improve the current level of autonomy enjoyed by the federal universities.

7.  THE NEED FOR URGENT INTERVENTION

There is an urgent and immediate need for concrete interventions in the University sector. These must include:

• adequate attention to institutional leadership and management: The appointment of Vice-Chancellors and other Principal Officers has become so politicized that merit is no longer regarded as important.  
• improving ICT development for teaching, learning and research;
• increasing the number of lecturers with PhD degrees in the universities: This percentage is currently less than 50% and the goal is to raise it to at least 80% within the next few years; and
• linking universities to the industries and other productive sectors of the economy: Throughout the world, the responsibility for education is shared between the private and public sectors with the greater responsibility resting with the latter. I am glad the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) is taking root in our education sector and with sincerity of purpose a lot can be achieved through the PPP channel.
• utilising the knowledge, technology and skills acquired by some of the country‘s professionals in the Diaspora.

Initiatives such as the Africa Centers of Excellence (ACE), Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) and the various interventions by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) will go a long way n further improving the quality of our teaching, research and graduate output.

8.         CONCLUSION

Nigerian educational institutions, at all levels, have to undergo fundamental and critical reforms and restructuring for them to make meaningful contributions to national development (National Planning Commission, 2004). In the golden words of John F. Kennedy in June 1963, ‘I do not deny the value of hopes and dreams but we merely invite discouragement and incredulity by making that our only and immediate goal. Let us focus instead on a more practical, more attainable series of concrete actions and effective agreements which are in the interest of all concerned.’[21] Solution will start with the articulation of the rationaleand goals for change. Three essential ingredients for effective structural and operational changes in our educational system are: performance measurement, process improvement and teamwork. Unfortunately, these are currently lacking or at best very weak.

We must now think less of the vehicles and refocus on the outcome. We must redesign and implement our educational system at all levels such that it will be less about form and more about the work to be done. There will be large shifts in the design of the current systems if this ambition is to be achieved. One major obstacle is that people often hold on tenaciously to what they are familiar with, and act only on things they know. They are understandably wary of breaking new grounds and venturing into the “unknown”. Unfortunately, what we know doesn’t seem to work anymore and the educational system before us requires that we take a different approach, and include all stakeholders in the rescue mission. A value-oriented, performance driven system cannot be achieved without the universities and other education experts adapting or even rejecting some traditions currently in our educational practice.

Education must support the developmental needs of the society, and open channels between the education sector and the broader social, political, economic and physical determinants of growth and development. For tertiary education to improve in Nigeria and for Universities to make the required impact, there are certain essential socio-political requirements: an environment free from local hazards including ethnic, political and religious strife, droughts and floods; satisfactory standard of living and quality of life that ensures adequate food supply. The government alone cannot effectively promote education and contributions are necessary from non-governmental sources including individuals, families and communities.

9.         FINAL WORDS

It must be noted that though the general mission of all universities upon establishment is to be citadels of learning and development, each must carve a niche for itself, achieving some level of uniqueness, if it must enjoy national and global recognition. In a fast changing and challenging world ruled by vision, clarity of mission and creativity, developing efficient, relevant and functional education system has become the linchpin of socio-economic development.

The rapid proliferation of universities has enormous implications for the present and future relevance and survival of the Nigerian higher education system. It requires the introduction of new methods to achieve optimum generation of revenue that will enable the universities meet their ever-increasing obligations, especially in the face of dwindling national resources and economic recession. There is a retinue of skills, knowledge and experience outside the university that can be tapped. Do Nigerian universities really have the structure and instruments designed to maximize such benefits, skills and experience? My answer is NO. Hence, a key message should be that universities in Nigeria should harvest such resources lying fallow (or wasting?) in our society. OAU is taking the lead in this direction and we are spreading our tentacles and extending our invitation to all those who wish to sow their knowledge and experience into the development of the Nigerian university system.

It will be deceitful to think that the educational system can achieve its optimal level without attaining sanity in the general society. It was Arun Gandhi (1998) who reported that his grandfather (Mohandras K. “Mahatma” Gandhi) once listed for him the causes of all violence in human life: ‘wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principle, and rights without responsibilities.’[22] All these pitfalls are rife in present day Nigeria andthey are rapidly eroding our educational attainment and achievements. To all these matters, arising from our negligence over the years, we must now direct our attention.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for your generous attention.

BIOSKETCH OF PROFESSOR EYITOPE OGUNBODEDE

Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede was appointed the 11^th Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in June, 2017. He is an indigene of the ancient city of Owo in Ondo State. He attended Methodist Primary School II, Owo and Owo High School, Owo. He obtained his Bachelor of Science Honours in Health Sciences in 1981, following it up with the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BCHD) in 1985 at Obafemi Awolowo University (then University of Ife).  He bagged a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in 1989 before proceeding to the Royal College of Surgeons, England, where he obtained a Dental Diploma in Public Health in 1992. He is a Fellow of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

He joined the services of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Nigeria as a Medical Training Fellow in March 1987 in the Faculty of Dentistry, where he rose to become a professor in the year 2000. Professor Ogunbodede served as Head of Department for 12 academic sessions between 1989 and 2007. He also served as Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry from 1999 to 2002. He was Provost of the College of Health Sciences, OAU from 2007 to 2009. Professor Ogunbodede was elected an internal member of the Governing Council of OAU from 2009 to 2011.  He was a member of the Governing Board of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, from 2007 to 2009.  He served on the Strategic Planning Committee of the University from 2003 to 2011. Also between 2004 and 2007, he chaired the College Alumni Relations Committee of the College of Health Sciences. 

Professor Ogunbodede served as Chairperson, Ethics and Research Committee of the OAUTHC from 2004 to 2009.  Similarly, for five (5) years (2006 – 2011), he served on the Central Monitoring Committee for External Grants and Sponsorships of OAU. His exemplary understanding of fund raising for institutional development earned him the Chair of the Gifts and Donations Acceptance Policy Drafting Committee between 2010 and 2011. Professor Ogunbodede envisioned and set up the DEMA Foundation Dental Museum, the first Dental Museum in Africa and the first specialised Museum in Nigeria, commissioned on September 18, 2015 in Ile-Ife.  He also established the Community Dental Clinic at Ipetumodu in Ife North Local Government Area which is the first dental clinic to be established under a Local Government Council in Nigeria.

An accomplished academic, Professor Ogunbodede has published over 100 full-length peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, 2 books, contributed 3 chapters to books, 3 monographs, 1 technical report, 1 Inaugural Lecture and 48 Conference abstracts.  He has attended over 140 scientific conferences and personally presented papers at over 40 of such conferences. He has also led many outstanding Research projects within and outside OAU. These include the Community Oral Health Project sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York (2003 to 2006); the 3-Country Development Partnerships in Higher Education (DelPHE) Project (2007 to 2010); and the Multi-country Consortium on Advanced Research and Training for Africa (CARTA) for which he was the Focal person for the University. Professor Ogunbodede was the visioner and Foundation Editor-in-Chief of the African Journal of Oral Health (AJOH). He is a reviewer for many professional journals and serves on the Editorial boards of 4 leading international dental journals and 3 national journals. He has held positions in numerous professional organizations and academic establishments in various parts of the world and has won many distinctions and awards. He is married with children.

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[1] A. B. Fafunwa, History of Education in Nigeria, Routlege Revivals (London: Routlege, 2018).

[2] Ibid. See also A. Babs Fafunwa, The Growth and Development of Nigerian Universities (Washington: Overseas Liaison Committee, American Council on Education, 1974).

[3] A. B. Fafunwa, ‘Islam concept of education with particular reference to modern Nigeria’, Nigerian Journal of Islam, 1, 1(1970): 17. 


[4] Grace Akanbi, ‘Political Dispensation and its Effects on the Early Childhood and Primary Education in Nigeria’, Journal of Sociological Research, 3, 2 (2012): 358-74.

[5] L. Akinkugbe, Footprints and footnotes: An Autobiography (Ibadan:  Bookcraft, 2010).

[6] B. A. Fafunwa, History of Education in Nigeria (Australia: Allen & Unwin, 1974).

[7] Ibid., 145.

[8] Walter Elliot, Report of the Commission on Higher Education in West Africa (London: H. M. Stationery Office, 1945).

[9] K. Mellanby, The birth of Nigeria’s university (London: Methuena Co. Ltd., 1958).

[10] National Planning Commission, National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) Nigeria (Abuja: National Planning Commission, 2004).

[11] B. N. Okigbo, ‘ Nigerian Universities: Progress, Problems and Role in Research Towards Self-reliance and Sovereignty. (Convocation lecture, University of Ife, Ile-Ife, 12 December 1981).

[12] Ojetunji Aboyade. Scholarship and Underdeveloment. An Address by the Vice-Chancellor to the Convocation of the University on 16^th December, 1978. University of Ife, Ile-Ife. 1978 12pp.

[13] M. A. Ajasin. Ajasin, Memoirs and Memories. Ajasin Foundation, Lagos, Nigeria. 2003 Pg.48

[14] O. A. Afolabi, ‘The Strategic Role of Universities in Good Governance and Sustainable National Development. (Convocation Lecture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, March 2011).

[15] G. Nzamujo, ‘Multidimensional Impact of the Agricultural Value Chain on Youth Empowerment and Nigeria’s Food Security (paper delivered at the 8th Annual Faculty Lecture of the Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, 11 June 2015). 


[16] Ibid.

[17]  A. I. Olayinka, Agenda for the Accelerated Development of the University of Ibadan through Consolidation and Innovation, 2015-2020 (Ibadan: Ibadan University Press, 2016).

[18]  A. I. Olayinka, Agenda for the Accelerated Development of the University of Ibadan through Consolidation and Innovation, 2015-2020 (Ibadan: Ibadan University Press, 2016).

[19]  P. G. Altbach, ‘The Costs and Benefits of World-Class Universities’, International Higher Education, 33 (2003): 5-8. 


[20] J. Salmi, The Challenge of Establishing World-Class Universities (Washington DC: The World Bank, 2009).

[21] John F. Kennedy, ‘Address at the American University, Washington D. C.’ (10 June 1963). https://kr.usembassy.gov/education-culture/infopedia-usa/living-documents-american-history-democracy/john-f-kennedy-american-university-address-1963/(accessed 18 September 2018).

[22] India Young (22 October 1925).

• Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede, BSc Hons, BChD (Ife), MPH (Lagos), DDPH RCS (England), FFD RCS (Ireland), PhD (UWC), the Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, delivered this Lecture on Saturday, 18^th May, 2019, at the 11th Foundation Anniversary of Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria.