Moshood Adebayo
Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has urged African universities to be at the forefront of building research and collaboration, as these would help find lasting solutions to the myriad challenges confronting the continent, particularly in education and technology, as well as lift the people out of poverty.
This was the vice president’s submission when he was guest lecturer at the 23rd Convocation Lecture of the Lagos State University, (LASU), Ojo, yesterday.
Osinbajo spoke on the theme: “Africa Centres of Excellence in African Universities: A Veritable Catalyst for Nation Building and Development.”
He said: “So, what do we need to do to convert our country to the greatest centre for innovation and creativity in the world? Three things: number one; education, number two, education and number three, education.
“The truth is that education is the most powerful force for socio economic change in the world. The UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report and the Education Commission’s Learning Generation Report provides important evidence on the impact of education on individual’s earnings and economic growth.”
The vice president expressed Federal Government‘s commitment to continue to collaborate with the universities to play up education of the people.
He said through improvement in learning and quality education, Nigerians can be lifted from abject poverty, just as he also emphasised the need for more premium to be placed on girls’ education.
Osinbajo said this has become imperative owing to the fact that education remains the most important force to global change.
Earlier, former Ghanaian president, John Dramani Mahama, who chaired the convocation lecture, urged African universities to move away from the colonial system of education and focus on science and technology to engender growth and development of the continent.
He said universities must provide visionary leadership and have academic autonomy, while political institutions must also avoid interference with the running of academic institutions.
Visitor to the the 39-year old university, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, said it was gratifying to note that LASU has been well positioned to be among Nigeria’s leading universities and a proper citadel of learning and character development.
He recalled how some of the challenges the university contended with in 2015, including backlog of unreleased results, low government subvention, infrastructure deficit, incessant industrial and student conflicts, among others, were resolved.
“Today, there is an atmosphere of peace and industrial harmony in LASU. The backlog of results have been cleared and our students are graduating every year; stepping out in flying colours, armed with qualifications, character and ideas to change the world.”
He said aside from amending the laws of the university and embarking on massive upgrade of infrastructure, the government also selected individuals with experience, dedication and a track record of remarkable leadership to lead the Governing Council, which, he said, aided the institution’s development.
“Our government increased the subvention for LASU and also, amended the laws governing the institution, especially regarding the tenure of the vice chancellor and making LASU a residential institution.
“We have embarked on extensive infrastructural development, which entailed upgrading the network of roads within the institution and installation of street lights,” the governor added.
“In line with our efforts to transform LASU, our government embarked on various projects to add to the infrastructural landscape of the university: The new Senate Building we commissioned today (yesterday); a project started by my predecessor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN); a new Students Arcade, an Ultra-Modern Central Library, the new Faculty of Management Sciences Building, and LASU Homes,” Ambode said.