By Fatima Sajida Waziri
The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Transportation, Daura (FUTD), Professor Umar Adam Katsayal, has called on Nigerian universities to embrace artificial intelligence, creative funding models and stronger industry partnerships to survive in a rapidly changing world.
Professor Katsayal made the call in an interview with Education Monitor on the sidelines of the 37th Annual General Assembly Conference of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, CVCNU, hosted by the University of Ilorin.
He said the 2026 CVCNU Conference presents a vital opportunity to redesign higher education in Nigeria. He endorsed the theme, “Building Resilient Universities for Nigeria,” and argued that universities must move past old-fashioned ideas and actively integrate AI, digital tools and collaboration with research centres and industry.
The Vice-Chancellor commended the host, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulwahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, and the CVCNU Secretariat under Professor Andrew Haruna, for organizing what he described as a highly impactful gathering.
He noted that the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission put the total number of universities in Nigeria at 324. According to him, the diversity shows both opportunities and responsibility for institutions to learn from one another. He said new and specialized universities like FUTD can learn from older conventional universities, while the older institutions can also benefit from the technological and innovative frameworks of specialized universities.
Professor Katsayal stressed that relying entirely on government subvention is no longer sustainable for funding universities.
He said institutions must build sustainable funding models through endowments, commercialization of research, and deep partnerships with the private sector.
He disclosed that FUTD is already pursuing that path. The university, he said, is building Africa’s first Centre for Railway Signaling and Communication through strategic industrial collaboration.
The Vice-Chancellor added that Nigerian universities remain the engines for producing the next generation of ethical and innovative leaders. For FUTD, he said, the mandate is to develop safe, sustainable and globally connected transport leaders.
He stressed that by choosing cooperation over isolation, the Nigerian university system can build the resilience required to meet the nation’s growing needs.