From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has challenged Nigerian universities, to move beyond the traditional role of awarding degrees and become engines of innovation, entrepreneurship, research and national development.
Tinubu issued the charge on Tuesday in Ilorin, Kwara State, while declaring open the 37th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), hosted by the University of Ilorin.
Represented by the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaibat Ahmad, the President said sustainable economic transformation could not be achieved without deliberate investment in human capital and a university system capable of producing graduates with relevant skills.
He described universities as critical partners in the Federal Government’s development agenda, urging them to produce graduates who can create opportunities rather than depend solely on the shrinking pool of available jobs.
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“Universities are more than institutions where degrees are awarded. They are centres of knowledge creation, innovation, critical thinking, entrepreneurship, cultural development and national transformation,” Tinubu said.
The President said the changing nature of the global economy, driven by artificial intelligence, automation, biotechnology, data science, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing, required Nigerian universities to rethink what they teach and how they prepare students for the future.
He asked university authorities to focus not only on the number of graduates produced but also on the quality, relevance and practical value of their education.
“The question before us is no longer simply whether our universities are producing graduates. The more foundational question is: what kind of graduates are we producing? How effectively are our universities preparing them to contribute to Nigeria’s economic and social transformation?” he asked.
Tinubu said his administration was implementing reforms to improve the quality, relevance, accessibility, affordability and accountability of tertiary education through the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative.
According to him, the initiative prioritises institutional governance, quality assurance, research and innovation, digital transformation, skills development and stronger collaboration between universities and industry.
The President also advocated a major shift from theoretical learning to practical training, disclosing that the government had commenced curriculum reforms, particularly in agriculture.
“We are moving away from 70 per cent theory and 30 per cent practical to a robust 80 per cent practical and 20 per cent theory,” he said.
He added that new accreditation requirements would require universities, faculties and departments of agriculture to establish partnerships with relevant industries, while students would undertake industrial attachments during their academic programmes.
Tinubu said the approach would gradually be extended to other disciplines through the ongoing review of the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS).
He further challenged universities to deepen partnerships with government, the private sector, development agencies and communities to ensure that research outputs translate into products, services, policies, technologies and solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.
“Nigeria cannot become a globally competitive economy by relying primarily on the consumption of knowledge generated elsewhere,” he said.
“Our universities must become powerful engines of research, innovation, technology development and entrepreneurship.”
On university administration, Tinubu urged vice-chancellors to strengthen accountability, improve institutional planning and ensure prudent management of public resources.
He reminded the university leaders that their responsibilities extended beyond academics to include institutional management, human resources, financial stewardship and community engagement.
“Leadership, vice-chancellorship, is not about research. It is about administrative skills. It is about the ability to manage both research and humans at the same time,” he said.
Tinubu also urged universities to make graduate employability a key consideration in curriculum development by expanding internships, entrepreneurship programmes, work-based learning and university-industry partnerships.
He said graduates should leave higher institutions not merely as job seekers, but as “value creators, innovators, entrepreneurs, professionals, researchers and responsible citizens.”
The President also highlighted the importance of student welfare and access to higher education, noting that interventions such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund were designed to ease financial barriers confronting students.
He, however, stressed that financial assistance must be matched with quality academic programmes, functional infrastructure, effective student services and safe and inclusive learning environments.
Tinubu called for greater collaboration among government, universities, academics, students, regulators, professional bodies, the private sector, development partners, alumni and host communities in repositioning Nigeria’s university system.
He described the CVCNU conference as an opportunity for university leaders to move beyond discussing challenges and develop practical solutions capable of making the country’s higher education system more competitive and responsive.
The President commended the Committee of Vice-Chancellors for sustaining the annual platform for dialogue and collaboration, while congratulating the University of Ilorin for hosting the conference.
He formally declared the conference open and urged participants to use the gathering to chart a new course for a more innovative, competitive, inclusive and responsible Nigerian university system.
