L-R: The VC of the African School of Economics, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, with the Secretary General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof. Andrew Haruna, and the representative of the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Mr Ashafa Ladan
The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, has called for innovation in the Nigerian universities as a way being 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 while delivering his goodwill message at the fourth Public Lecture of the African School of Economics, Abuja, which was delivered by Prof. Moses Ochonu of Vanderbilt University, USA, on June 26, 2025. The theme of the lecture was “The 21st Century Nigerian University: Pitfalls and Pathways”.
According to the Executive Secretary, who was represented on the occasion by the NUC Director of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, Mr Ashafa Ladan, 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 as 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.”
He highlighted the transformative agenda of his leadership at the NUC, which he said was anchored on eight pillars, which are expanding access, curriculum innovation, digital transformation, skills and entrepreneurship development, university-industry-government collaboration, improved graduate employability, commercialisation of research and cross-border synergies.
In his own goodwill message, the Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), Prof. Andrew Haruna, commended the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji and the institution for “their unwavering commitment to advancing knowledge while noting that universities are at the crossroads of rapid global transformation and local imperatives, which require that “our universities 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.
The lecture was attended by representations of Vice Chancellors and other heads of tertiary institutions, scholars, university staff as well as members of the public.
