By Waziri Isa Adam Gwantu
ILORIN – Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin and former Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq O. Oloyede, has called for a Nigerian Universities Resilience Compact with measurable commitments, peer review and annual reporting. He also urged the Federal Government to faithfully implement the 2025 renegotiated agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, saying predictable public funding is critical to university stability.
Professor Oloyede made the call on Monday while delivering the keynote at the 37th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, CVCNU, held at the University of Ilorin. Speaking on “Reimagining Nigerian Universities for Resilience: Leadership, Innovation and Sustainability in a Disruptive Era”, he said resilience is “structured adaptation and disciplined renewal” and not “stubborn endurance.”
He identified five pressures confronting the system: demographic shifts, technological disruption, fiscal constraints, environmental stress and a crisis of legitimacy and trust. Citing JAMB data, he said 199 universities recorded fewer than 100 candidates in the 2025 admissions cycle, and warned that “duplication is not innovation.”
On funding, he said financial sustainability begins with transparency about the real cost of programmes, laboratories, utilities and digital infrastructure. “Government must accept that quality university education requires predictable public investment,” he said. He noted that the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement contains commitments on conditions of service, autonomy, research and dedicated funding, and that its faithful implementation “would strengthen confidence and stability.” He also backed the proposed National Research Council with substantial and predictable support.
The former JAMB boss said the first infrastructure of a resilient university is leadership. He said governance should be guided by clear rules, transparent processes and succession planning, noting that “Succession planning is not an admission of mortality. It is evidence of institutional seriousness.” He urged Councils to provide strategic oversight and management to respect accountability. He also called for alignment with the CCMAS framework to embed digital competence and regional needs, saying “We cannot digitise disorder and call it transformation.”
On innovation, Oloyede said universities must redesign assessment because generative AI cannot be banned. He said assessment must test reasoning, application, oral defence and ethical judgement. He said every university should adopt a human-centred, rights-respecting AI policy that distinguishes assistance from misrepresentation, protects data and supports staff development. “AI literacy must become part of graduate competence, but so must the capacity to think without technological dependency,” he stated.
On research, he said universities must shift from research for promotion to research for national problems. He proposed mission-oriented clusters on food security, health, energy, climate, governance and digital inclusion. He said technology transfer offices must help protect IP, negotiate partnerships and create spin-offs. He cautioned against defining innovation only commercially, noting that a new teaching method or public health intervention “may generate enormous public value even when it produces no patent.”
On administration, he said universities should build integrated data systems with dashboards on enrolment, finances, staffing and research. He warned that “Decisions based on anecdotes and incomplete spreadsheets are incompatible with institutional resilience.” He said data must be governed with cybersecurity and disaster recovery, adding that “A data breach or loss of examination records can damage an institution more rapidly than a physical disaster.”
On sustainability, he said a university may balance its books while exhausting staff or losing public trust. He urged diversification through endowments, alumni giving, grants and research partnerships, but warned that “Diversification must be strategic. A university should not turn every available space into a commercial venture.” He said trust is the most valuable asset because “Endowments grow when governance is credible. Financial sustainability is therefore inseparable from integrity.”
On affordability, he said institutions must protect access for poor students through loans, scholarships and work-study. “No student should be admitted into a public institution and then silently excluded because essential costs were not honestly disclosed,” he said. He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu “for His Excellency’s commitment and attention to NELFUND which he strategically reinvented as a tool for educational equity.”
On human capacity, Oloyede said universities cannot be resilient while losing scholars and overloading staff. He called for a strategy to convert brain drain to brain gain by engaging diaspora academics to teach, co-supervise and lead joint labs. He said institutions must also invest in those who remain through mentoring and protected research time. He added that student and staff well-being must be part of academic quality, with counselling and clear procedures for misconduct, because “A culture that silences distress is not strong. It is merely unresponsive.”
On environment, he said campuses should become laboratories for energy, water and climate adaptation. He commended the University of Ilorin for progress in solar power and green energy initiatives. He said every university should conduct climate risk assessments and integrate sustainability into planning and procurement.
On community relations, he said engagement should be embedded in curricula and research. He said the University of Ilorin model of COBESisation is worth replicating. He explained that COBES, expanded in 2008 during his tenure, moved students of Agriculture, Science and Engineering from classrooms to community-oriented problem solving, strengthening town and gown relations.
On differentiation and collaboration, he faulted duplication of programmes and ranking pursuits, saying “Resilience requires differentiation. Not every university must be everything to everyone.” He said collaboration is the companion of differentiation, and universities can no longer afford duplication of expensive equipment and staff. “Regional consortia can support shared laboratories, joint doctoral programmes and joint procurement. The Committee of Vice-Chancellors is uniquely positioned to make this cooperation practical,” he said. He commended Unilorin for leadership of KU8+ and called for stronger links with polytechnics and colleges of education.
He concluded by proposing the Nigerian Universities Resilience Compact with measurable commitments and annual reporting through CVCNU. He warned against treating it “as many did with Keffi Declaration until the Federal Ministry of Education and NUC have to use the big stick.” He said “It is imperative that we take bold decisions and initiatives. It is more imperative that we walk the talk of our commitments.”