Nigerian universities must adapt, embrace AI to remain relevant — Vice-Chancellors
by Biola Azeez
Speaker at 37th Annual General Assembly and Conference of the CVCNU
The Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), Professor Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, has challenged Nigerian universities to urgently reposition themselves to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world, warning that institutions must become more resilient to remain relevant to the nation.
Ezemonye, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, made the call on Tuesday in Ilorin while delivering his address at the 37th Annual General Assembly and Conference of the CVCNU, hosted by the University of Ilorin.
The conference, themed “Building Resilient Universities for Nigeria”, brought together vice-chancellors, education administrators, regulators and other stakeholders to deliberate on the future of the Nigerian university system.
According to him, Nigerian universities are facing a critical test, not of survival, but of their relevance to a young and increasingly demanding population.
Thus, Ezemonye said that the Nigerian university system must prepare for an era shaped by artificial intelligence, rapid population growth and intense global economic competition.
“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”.
Ezemonye said resilience in the university system must go beyond merely surviving crises, explaining that universities must be able to withstand funding challenges, industrial disputes, demographic pressures, technological disruption and the loss of skilled personnel while maintaining excellence in teaching, research and community service.
He noted that the conference would focus on four major areas: governance, university autonomy and financial sustainability; the development of AI-ready universities; relations between universities, government, regulators, industry and labour; as well as human capital, academic excellence and the welfare of students and staff.
The CVCNU chairman also stressed the strategic role of universities in national development, describing them as institutions responsible for producing the professionals, innovators and leaders required to move the country forward.
He urged universities to move away from the traditional perception of the institution as an “Ivory Tower” disconnected from society and instead become stronger partners in solving national and community problems.
Ezemonye proposed that Nigerian universities should increasingly be viewed as “Innovation Engines,” “Knowledge Greenhouses,” “Community Anchors” and the “Nation’s Compass”.
He said that such a shift would require practical changes in how universities are managed, funded and assessed, as well as stronger partnerships with government, industry and local communities.
The chairman also called for honest and courageous discussions on the challenges confronting the university system, urging participants to produce recommendations that could be implemented rather than allowing the conference to end with mere resolutions.
“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, the Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities, Professor Ahmed Yayale Ahmed, called for a stronger working relationship between Governing Councils and Vice-Chancellors to address the challenges confronting the nation’s university system.
He said the theme of the conference, “Building Resilient Universities for Nigeria,” was timely, given the funding constraints, technological changes, global competition and increasing demands for accountability facing Nigerian universities.
He urged Vice-Chancellors to regard Pro-Chancellors and Governing Councils as partners in progress rather than rivals, stressing that effective governance depended on mutual respect, transparency and clearly defined responsibilities.
Ahmed also advised Vice-Chancellors to be open with Councils on finances, appointments, procurement, projects and other major decisions, while urging Governing Councils to provide oversight without interfering in the day-to-day running of universities.
“We must replace rivalry with partnership, suspicion with transparency, and confrontation with constructive engagement,” he said.
Source: Tribune
