By Ayodele Oni
A chieftain of Afenifere, Chief Seinde Arogbofa, has blamed Nigeria’s failing university system squarely at the feet of government.
Speaking as chairman at the 8th Annual Registry Lecture of Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, in Ondo state, Arogbofa maintained that “the decay of the Nigerian university system is a direct result of government’s ineptitude.”
Arogbofa, who delivered what many attendees described as a “truth long overdue,” listed the failures that have crippled higher education over the years to include chronic underfunding, poor remuneration for academics, and perhaps most corrosive, the political interference in the appointment of principal officers in government- owned universities.
According to the former Secretary-General of Afenifere and Pioneer Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lafia, thes, have combined to weaken once-proud institutions.
He praised the Founder of Elizade University, Chief Michael Ade Ojo, describing him as a man whose foresight and selfless sacrifice have produced a world-class institution “standing as proof of what is possible when excellence, not politics, drives education.”
Delivering the keynote lecture, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Prof Adenike Oladiji, painted a balanced but sobering picture of the nation’s university landscape.
Her paper, themed “The Nigerian University System: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly,” acknowledged the bright spots which are opportunities for academic growth, career progression, and the rich socio-cultural integration that universities foster amongst others.
But the positives, she said, are heavily overshadowed by deepening challenges.
She highlighted severe under funding and manpower shortages, worsened by the Japa phenomenon, abuse of autonomy and declining commitment from various actors.
The don also listed rampant politicization, where merit takes a back seat, frequent industrial disputes that disrupt academic calendars and mass proliferation of universities without corresponding resources.
Calling for a complete reset, Oladiji insisted that stakeholders must “return to the tradition of excellence,” reminding the audience that the university is a “world of its own,” equipped with laws and structures designed to uphold prestige.
At the heart of this system, she emphasized, lies the Registry: “The Registry is at the centre of all university activities.”
The Acting Vice-Chancellor of Elizade University, Prof Sunday Adeyemo, celebrated the Registry Division for maintaining a culture of professionalism and administrative distinction.
“Each edition of the Annual Registry Lecture reinforces the indispensable role of the Registry in institutional development and effective university governance,” he said.
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