Oloyede, Egbewole, Ribadu, others seek stronger collaboration, innovation for resilient universities
By Tajudeen Babamale
Nigerian university leaders and key stakeholders have called for stronger leadership, innovation, collaboration, sustainable funding and effective regulation to build resilient institutions capable of responding to the technological, economic, environmental and social challenges confronting the country.
They made the call last Tuesday (August 18, 2026) at the opening ceremony of the 37th Annual General Assembly Conference of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), held at the University of Ilorin, themed “Building Resilient Universities for Nigeria”.
Delivering the keynote address, titled “Reimagining Nigerian Universities for Resilience: Leadership, Innovation and Sustainability in a Disruptive Era”, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin and immediate past Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Emeritus Is,haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, urged universities to move beyond merely enduring disruptions and deliberately build resilience through stronger institutional leadership, purposeful innovation, deeper collaboration and sustainable funding.
Prof. Emeritus Oloyede described leadership as the “first infrastructure” of a resilient university, advocating institutional rather than personalised leadership, transparency, accountability and effective succession planning.
He urged universities to embrace meaningful innovation rather than simply digitising existing processes, cautioning that “we cannot digitise disorder and call it transformation.”
He called for curriculum reforms, responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence, research directed at national challenges and greater attention to financial, human, environmental and social sustainability.
As a key outcome, Prof. Emeritus Oloyede proposed a Nigerian Universities Resilience Compact, backed by annual reporting by the CVCNU, and urged every university to develop a 90-day action plan covering governance, curriculum relevance, digital transformation, sustainable financing and climate-smart campuses.
He also called on the government to guarantee predictable funding and institutional autonomy, while urging industry, alumni, students and communities to become genuine partners in strengthening the university system. He said resilience must replace mere endurance as the defining goal of Nigerian universities.
In a related intervention, the Secretary-General of the Association of West African Universities (AWAU) and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, reaffirmed the commitment of the Association to strengthening the capacity and resilience of universities across West Africa.
In his goodwill message, Prof. Egbewole congratulated the CVCNU on the conference and said AWAU, established at the University of Ilorin on January 10, 2011, identified strongly with the theme, “Building Resilient Universities for Nigeria”.
He said that AWAU had continued to build the capacity of its members while promoting collaboration and synergies between West African universities and institutions across the world, particularly in Asia and Latin America. He urged members to participate actively in the Association’s monthly colloquia and other capacity-building initiatives.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, called for greater coordination among regulatory agencies to eliminate duplication of responsibilities and reduce the financial and administrative burden on universities.
Prof. Ribadu said the NUC was working to reclaim its statutory mandate, particularly in resource verification, while encouraging other regulatory bodies to collaborate rather than duplicate functions.
He disclosed that the Commission had completed its e-NUC platform, designed to streamline regulatory processes, reduce paperwork and enable universities to submit requests, including resource verification applications, digitally. He urged Vice Chancellors and designated university officials to complete the onboarding process.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the CVCNU and Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Benin City, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, called for the remodelling of Nigerian universities to make them fit for purpose and responsive to the demands of the marketplace and emerging technologies.
Prof. Ezemonye urged universities to move beyond the traditional conception of the institution as an “ivory tower” and transform themselves into innovation engines capable of driving creativity, technological advancement and national development through stronger partnerships with industry and government.
He, however, cautioned against the commercialisation of university education, warning against treating students merely as customers and degrees as commodities. He urged university leaders to engage in honest dialogue and ensure that the conference produced actionable and evidence-based recommendations.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Federal Universities, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, advocated research commercialisation, flexible learning pathways and diversified funding sources to strengthen the resilience of Nigerian universities.
Prof. Ishaya urged institutions to deepen partnerships with industry, develop endowments and engage alumni more effectively, stressing that dependence on government allocations and student charges was no longer sustainable.
He also called for curricula that respond to the digital age, particularly developments in artificial intelligence and digital learning platforms, while identifying effective governance, staff welfare, conflict resolution and technology-driven administration as essential to institutional stability.
On his part, the Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities, Dr Yayale Ahmed, called for stronger partnerships between Governing Councils and Vice Chancellors to promote good governance, institutional stability and sustainable development.
Dr Ahmed urged Vice Chancellors to regard Governing Councils as partners in progress and ensure transparency in finances, appointments, procurement and major institutional decisions, while advising councils to exercise effective oversight without interfering in the day-to-day administration of universities.
He maintained that stronger collaboration between Governing Councils and University management would enhance institutional autonomy with accountability, academic excellence, good governance and sustainable development.
The interventions collectively underscored the need for Nigerian universities to embrace resilience as a strategic institutional culture, supported by effective leadership, innovation, collaboration, responsible regulation, diversified funding and partnerships with government, industry, alumni, students and communities.
