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Nigerian Varsities Charged To Embrace AI, Collaboration

Published

2 months ago

August 18, 2026

Stephen Olufemi Oni Ilorin

Nigerian Universities have been charged to embrace artificial intelligence, innovation, stronger governance and strategic partnerships for them to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world and meet the expectations of the country’s growing population.

The charge was made on Tuesday at the 37th Annual General Assembly and Conference of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), hosted by the University of Ilorin, with the theme: “Building Resilient Universities for Nigeria.”

The Chairman of the CVCNU and Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, Prof. Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, said the Nigerian university system had reached a critical point where mere survival was no longer sufficient.

Ezemonye said universities must transform themselves into centres of innovation, ethical leadership, research and national development rather than remain detached from the needs of society.

“We meet at an hour when the Nigerian university is being tested as it has seldom been tested since the years immediately after independence. The test is not of our survival, for we have survived much. It is of our relevance to a young, restless and expectant nation,” he said.

He said the resilience of universities must go beyond coping with inadequate funding, industrial disputes, population pressures, technological disruption and the migration of skilled academics.

According to him, resilient universities must be able to adapt to emerging realities while retaining their core responsibilities of teaching, research, character formation and service to society.

He identified governance and financial sustainability, artificial intelligence and technology-driven transformation, university-government-industry relations, as well as human capital, academic excellence and the welfare of students and staff as critical areas requiring urgent attention.

Ezemonye warned that Nigeria could not achieve sustainable development without a strong university system capable of producing the professionals, researchers and leaders required to drive the economy.

“Those institutions have produced the doctors who staff our hospitals, the engineers who build our infrastructure, the lawyers who argue our cases, the scientists who conduct our research, the administrators who govern our public institutions and the leaders who have shaped our national life,” he said.

He, however, cautioned that the country could not continue to depend on the achievements of previous generations, stressing that universities must be repositioned to respond to artificial intelligence, demographic growth and increasing global competition.

“Inheritance is not destiny,” Ezemonye declared, urging university authorities to rebuild their institutions to become “fit for purpose” in the emerging global environment.

The CVCNU Chairman also called for a change in the perception of universities as isolated “Ivory Towers”, saying they should instead serve as innovation engines, knowledge centres, community anchors and the nation’s compass for ethical leadership.

He urged participants at the conference to confront the challenges facing the sector honestly and produce practical, evidence-based solutions.

“The challenges before us are too grave and too urgent to be obscured by politeness or deference. We must speak plainly about the failures of the past and the demands of the future,” he said.

Also speaking at the conference, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, warned universities against violating newly approved regulatory guidelines, particularly on the conferment of honorary doctorate degrees.

Ribadu said universities must not award more than three honorary doctorates at a single convocation and warned that serving public office holders should not be recipients of such honours under the new guidelines.

“It has been bastardised in the past. So, for now, we say please, you are doing well. When you leave office, the university will honour you,” he said.

The NUC boss disclosed that institutions that breach the guidelines could face sanctions, including suspension or refusal of resource verification for new academic programmes for up to two years.

“One of which is suspension or refusal by NUC to do resource verification for new programmes,” he said.

He warned that the sanction could affect universities seeking approval for programmes in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, data science and robotics.

“If you wish to do that and you have violated the guideline, the punishment is we will not resource-verify your institution. And you cannot do it for two years,” Ribadu said.

The NUC executive secretary said the commission was pursuing reforms aimed at expanding access to university education while strengthening quality assurance, digitisation, research, innovation and the academic calendar.

He announced plans to introduce “Blueprint 2.0”, which he described as a roadmap for the sustainable transformation of the Nigerian university system.

“Blueprint 2.0 is not intended to become just another policy document. Its implementation will be monitored continuously with regular assessments of progress and adjustments made when necessary,” he said.

Ribadu said the NUC would also further digitise its operations, particularly resource verification, allowing universities to submit applications and receive responses electronically.

He disclosed that the commission would hold a retreat with vice-chancellors in October to address challenges peculiar to federal, state and private universities.

On curriculum development, Ribadu said universities currently had 30 per cent flexibility to introduce innovations relevant to their institutions, adding that the commission would review the arrangement in two years and could increase the flexibility to 50 per cent.

He, however, stressed that increased access to university education must not be achieved at the expense of quality.

“We have to maintain quality,” he said.

Ribadu also called for greater cooperation between the NUC and university authorities, saying, “Let us work together. We are one government. We can work together. Let us collaborate.”

In a related call for institutional stability, the Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities, Prof. Ahmed Yayale Ahmed, urged Vice-Chancellors and Governing Councils to end rivalry and embrace partnership in the management of universities.

Ahmed said the complex challenges confronting higher education required trust, transparency and a shared sense of purpose between university management and governing councils.

“Governing Councils are supervisory and advisory organs constituted by Government to support good governance and ensure the smooth and effective running of our institutions,” he said.

He urged councils to provide guidance and oversight without interfering in the day-to-day administration of universities, while also advising Vice-Chancellors to respect the statutory responsibilities of Governing Councils.

“Council must supervise without micromanaging, while Management must exercise its authority without shutting Council out,” Ahmed said.

He warned that universities could ill afford leadership conflicts at a time when they were struggling with funding pressures, technological disruption, global competition and demands for greater accountability.

“Our universities cannot afford leadership conflicts. The challenges confronting Nigerian higher education are simply too significant for Pro-Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors to expend valuable time and resources competing for authority,” he said.

Ahmed called for a shift from rivalry to partnership, suspicion to transparency and confrontation to constructive engagement.

He also advocated closer cooperation between the Committee of Pro-Chancellors and the CVCNU, saying both bodies had important roles to play in building a resilient and globally competitive university system.

“There is much that our two bodies can achieve when we speak to one another, understand our respective responsibilities and work together in the overall interest of Nigerian higher education,” he said.

The conference, which brought together vice-chancellors, pro-chancellors, regulators and other stakeholders in the education sector, is expected to produce recommendations on governance, innovation, funding, digital transformation, academic excellence and institutional resilience.

The CVCNU Chairman expressed confidence that the deliberations would provide practical pathways for repositioning Nigerian universities.

“I am firmly convinced that the deliberations of these two days shall serve, in perpetuity, the cause of a resilient, resurgent, and enduring Nigerian university system,” Ezemonye said.

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’idu Ahmad; Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu; keynote speaker Prof. Emeritus Ishaq Oloyede; and the University of Ilorin, led by its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, for supporting the conference.

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Kwara celebrates Fela’s legacy with retrospective exhibition

Published

12 hours ago

October 26, 2026

Our Reporter

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Kwara State Government has celebrated the life and enduring influence of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, with a retrospective exhibition aimed at preserving African cultural heritage and inspiring younger generations.

The exhibition, titled Fela Anikulapo-Kuti: A Retrospective, was opened by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the Institute of Contemporary African Art and Film in Ilorin on Monday.

The Governor said the establishment of the institute reflected his administration’s belief that development should extend beyond physical infrastructure to include spaces that promote creativity, knowledge and economic opportunities.

“When we established the Institute of Contemporary African Art & Film, our vision was clear: development must go beyond roads, bridges and buildings to create spaces for creativity, knowledge and opportunity,” AbdulRazaq said.

According to him, cultural infrastructure plays an important role in connecting people to their history, broadening their imagination and encouraging critical thinking.

“Physical infrastructure connects places; cultural infrastructure connects people to their history, expands their imagination and challenges their thinking,” the Governor said.

AbdulRazaq said the institute was established to preserve African stories, nurture talents and showcase the continent’s artists and thinkers to the world,
describing the decision to open the institution with an exhibition dedicated to Fela as significant, given the musician’s contribution to African music, social commentary and cultural expression.

“Fela was more than a musician. Through his music and artistic expression, he challenged conventions and confronted society with questions about power, freedom, identity and justice,” he added.

The Governor added that the late musician’s life demonstrated the capacity of artistic expression to influence public discourse and inspire social change.

The exhibition, curated by June Creative Art Advisory, led by its founder, Mrs Seun Alli, featured photography, archival materials, film, graphic works and other artistic expressions exploring Fela’s life, times and enduring influence.

AbdulRazaq commended the firm for bringing its curatorial expertise and creative vision to the project, while describing the exhibition as an opportunity for different categories of visitors to engage with the musician’s legacy.

He said the exhibition would provide students with learning opportunities beyond the classroom, inspire artists, support researchers and encourage young people to explore the creative industry.

“For students, this is a classroom beyond the classroom; for artists, inspiration; for researchers, an opportunity for deeper inquiry; and for young people, a reminder that creativity offers both self-expression and economic opportunity,” he said.

The Governor clarified that the state government was not claiming ownership of Fela’s story but was providing a platform for younger generations to encounter and learn from his legacy, adding that the state government is optimistic that the institute would promote cultural education, encourage creative enterprise, attract visitors and strengthen Kwara State’s position in Nigeria’s cultural and creative landscape.

According to him, the institution’s success would be measured by the talents it nurtured, the ideas it inspired and the opportunities it created.

“Governments change, but institutions should endure,” the Governor said, expressing the hope that the exhibition would mark the beginning of sustained cultural engagement at the institute.

“May this exhibition begin sustained cultural engagement at ICAAF and inspire our young people to create, question, discover and contribute to society,” he said.

AbdulRazaq added that the initiative reflected his administration’s commitment to building a state where cultural heritage, innovation and economic opportunities complemented one another.

In her address, the Commissioner for Communications, Hon. Bolanle Olukoju, said: “Today’s exhibition offers us an opportunity to revisit the life and works of Fela
Anikulapo-Kuti and appreciate how his music, ideas and artistic expression continue to influence generations.

“For the Ministry of Communications, this occasion speaks to an important part of our
mandate: promoting the stories, talents and creative expressions that shape our identity as a people.”

The Commissioner particularly noted that under Governor AbdulRazaq’s leadership, the State is creating opportunities for young people through investments in sectors such as film, fashion and technology.

She added: “Projects including
the Sugar Film Factory, the Garment Factory and the Ilorin Innovation Hub reflect the administration’s commitment to developing talent and supporting enterprise.

“The Institute of Contemporary African Art & Film, formerly the Ilorin Visual Arts Centre, adds an important dimension to this effort. It provides a platform for artistic expression, cultural learning and creative collaboration.

“We want young Kwarans who are passionate about painting, photography, filmmaking, fashion and design to see ICAAF as a place where they can explore their interests, learn from others and showcase their talents.

“We also encourage students to engage with art and history beyond the classroom. Fela’s story is a fitting subject for this exhibition. It demonstrates how creativity
can go beyond entertainment to shape cultural identity and influence public conversations. There is much for our young people to learn from his artistic journey and enduring impact.

“It might also interest you that kwara state was also part of Fela’s creative showcase during his lifetime.”

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2027: Ilorin West LG Boss Leads APC Mega Rally In Ubandawaki

Published

12 hours ago

October 26, 2026

Our Reporter

•••Says Ward stands with APC

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Executive Chairman of the Ilorin West Local Government, Mallam Shehu AbdulRahman Babatunde Ladan, has led an All Progressives Congress (APC) mega rally in Ubandawaki Ward, reaffirming the commitment of party members and supporters to the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The rally attracted party leaders, grassroots mobilisers, youths, women, and other stakeholders who gathered to demonstrate their support for the party.

Addressing the gathering, Chairman Ladan declared that Ubandawaki Ward remains committed to the APC and its political leadership, expressing support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and the APC governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Engr. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu (SYD), alongside other party candidates for the 2027 general elections.

The Chairman emphasised the importance of unity, peaceful political engagement, and sustained grassroots mobilisation in strengthening the party’s structure ahead of the forthcoming elections, urging party faithful to remain united, engage constructively with residents, and work collectively towards the party’s political objectives.

Ladan also acknowledged the importance of Ubandawaki Ward in the political landscape of Ilorin West, encouraging party leaders and supporters to maintain cordial relationships, promote inclusive participation, and sustain engagement with the electorate. He stressed that a united party structure would help strengthen internal cooperation and effective grassroots coordination.

The mega rally renewed calls for unity, loyalty, and peaceful political participation among APC members and supporters, underscoring commitment by participants to mobilising support for the party’s candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections, while promoting peace, development, and responsible democratic engagement across Ilorin West Local Government Area.

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KW-IRS Staff Threaten Strike Over Alleged Poor Remuneration

Published

6 days ago

October 21, 2026

Our Reporter

Mgt Accuses Union Of Dishing Out False Staff Remuneration Scale

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The staff of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) have lamented poor welfare conditions, rising living costs and stagnant salaries they have been subjected to, despite their contributions to the state’s revenue generation.

In a statement issued by the KWIRS chapter of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), the workers lamented that their sacrifice and professionalism, which have helped to place Kwara State among the more self-reliant states in the country, have not been matched with corresponding improvement in their welfare.

The workers questioned the disparity between their contributions to the state’s revenue and their welfare, saying many of them are battling financial hardship.

“We block leakages. We are posted to hospitals and other MDAs to secure government revenue. We work under pressure day and night but we continue to struggle to meet basic needs due to poor salaries.”

The association further expressed concern that personnel costs had remained unchanged for years while other expenditure heads had continued to increase.

It also cited a salary negotiation agreement dated October 11, 2022, which reportedly stated that the adjustment would be implemented “as soon as it can be accommodated in the budget.”

According to the workers, nearly four years after the agreement, there had been no implementation or clear indication of when the adjustment would take effect, despite the rising cost of living.

The staff said expenses on school fees, house rent, transportation and food had increased significantly while their salaries remained unchanged. “We smile outside but the majority of us are bleeding inside. We cannot continue to generate wealth for the state while we wallow in abject poverty,” they declared.

Urging their colleagues to remain united and resolute in pursuing improved welfare, the association said the workers should not expect better conditions without collectively standing up for their interests.

It called on members to remain calm, vigilant and prayerful as a 14-day period beginning October 15, 2026, counts down, without specifying further details in the statement about the expected action at its conclusion.

Reacting to the KW-IRS staff allegations, the Management, while
reaffirm its commitment to professionalism, political neutrality and its statutory mandate, expressed dismay over public speculation on staff remuneration and attempts to politicise unverified internal administrative communications.

“Management is concerned by attempts to exploit unverified internal administrative communications for political purposes, create unnecessary tension and distract the Service from its responsibilities. KWIRS will not be distracted from its mandate by such narratives,” said the Management.

It added: “The isolated salary figures being circulated on social media do not represent the full remuneration structure or total emoluments of KWIRS staff. Staff compensation extends beyond regular monthly salaries and includes the following benefits, in accordance with applicable policies and approved arrangements:

“Annual and Performance-Related Bonuses: Annual, festive, and situational bonuses linked to revenue performance milestones and staff performance and situational economic palliatives are paid periodically to staff members

“Annual Leave Allowance: A separate annual payment in addition to regular monthly remuneration.
Staff Welfare and Operational Support: Structured measures designed to support staff welfare and professional development throughout their careers.

“Accordingly, assessing staff remuneration solely on selectively circulated salary figures presents an incomplete picture of the Service’s compensation and welfare structure.

“Management remains committed to staff welfare, motivation and professional development. The Service will continue to strengthen policies and operational processes that support staff well-being and performance, within government-approved resource allocations and applicable administrative frameworks. The Service remains one of the Government Institutions with the most recruitment requests and this is a testament of Management’s commitment to staff welfare.

“KWIRS urges members of the public, taxpayers and other stakeholders to disregard unverified and misleading narratives, verify information before sharing it, and rely on official Service communications for accurate information about its operations and staff policies.

“All stakeholders are encouraged to refrain from politicising internal administrative matters or spreading claims capable of undermining institutional harmony and public confidence.

“KWIRS remains focused on its statutory responsibilities and committed to mobilising revenue for the economic growth and sustainable development of Kwara State.”