Renowned Professor of African History at Vanderbilt University, USA, Moses Ochonu, has urged Nigerian universities to embrace transformative change, prioritise multidisciplinarity, and eliminate academic inbreeding to remain relevant in today’s rapidly evolving academic and global landscape.
Prof. Ochonu made this call while delivering the fourth Public Lecture of the African School of Economics (The Pan-African University of Excellence), Abuja, on Thursday, June 26, 2025. The lecture was themed: “The 21st Century Nigerian University: Pitfalls and Pathways.”
Addressing a distinguished audience of academics and stakeholders in the education sector, the guest speaker highlighted the mounting pressures on universities globally, driven by overlapping technological and digital revolutions. He noted that Nigerian universities are not immune to these shifts and must respond with bold reforms.
Lamenting the erosion of cosmopolitan values in some Nigerian institutions, Ochonu criticised the rise of academic inbreeding and described many universities as “appendages of parochial projects of exclusivity,” where intellectual diversity is under threat.
While acknowledging the historic achievements of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in defending academic rights, the professor pointed out existing challenges. “Many lecturers continue to skip classes, supervision and mentorship are poor or non-existent, and outdated lecture notes are still widely used,” he said, also decrying the spread of predatory pay-to-publish journals.
To improve teaching quality and student experience, Prof. Ochonu proposed the introduction of a Student Bill of Rights to safeguard academic relationships. He recommended the establishment of teaching excellence centres, writing centres, and institutional awards for outstanding teaching performance.
He also advocated for the decolonisation of inherited knowledge systems, and curriculum reforms that reflect modern demands and global realities. Universities, he stressed, must create flexible learning systems that allow professionals to upskill and explore new interests through single-course enrolments.
In his opening remarks titled “Ideas Change the World,” the Vice Chancellor of the African School of Economics, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, traced the roots of university education to the University of Qarawiyyin, Fez, Morocco, established in 859 AD emphasised Africa’s foundational role in global higher education.
Prof. Adedimeji noted the growth of Nigerian universities to over 300 institutions, even as debates continue around access, quality, and relevance. “Our universities must stop operating in silos. The future lies in synergy, collaboration, and leveraging technology for sustainable progress,” he said.
The event featured goodwill messages from prominent education leaders, including the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, and the Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU). Also in attendance were vice chancellors and representatives from Baze University, African University of Science and Technology, African Aerospace and Aviation University, and other tertiary institutions.
