President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerian universities to rethink the way they prepare students, saying greater attention should be given to practical abilities, innovation and problem-solving instead of certificates alone.
He said the country needs graduates who can use their knowledge to create solutions, find opportunities and contribute to economic growth in an increasingly technology-driven world.
Tinubu spoke on Wednesday in Ilorin, Kwara State, at the 37th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities hosted by the University of Ilorin.
The President was represented at the event by the Minister of State for Education, Suwaibat Ahmad.
Describing universities as important institutions for national development, Tinubu said their responsibility should extend beyond producing degree holders.
“Universities are more than institutions where degrees are awarded. They are centres of knowledge creation, innovation, critical thinking, entrepreneurship, cultural development and national transformation,” he said.
He said the real value of university education should be reflected in graduates’ capacity to apply what they learn, develop useful solutions and make positive contributions to society.
According to the President, students should leave university with a combination of academic knowledge and practical abilities, including digital competence, entrepreneurial skills, flexibility, ethical standards and creative thinking.
He challenged university authorities to review their programmes regularly and ensure they remain relevant as technology and employment patterns change.
“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 developments in artificial intelligence, automation, biotechnology, data science, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing had made the need for relevant skills more urgent.
He said the Federal Government was implementing reforms designed to raise the standard of tertiary education while improving its accessibility, affordability, relevance and accountability.
The President disclosed that the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative was being implemented with focus on areas such as research, digital transformation, institutional management, quality assurance, skills acquisition and stronger partnerships between universities and industries.
He also called for more practical learning in universities, saying students should be exposed to hands-on experiences that complement classroom teaching.
Tinubu added that curriculum reviews had begun, particularly in agriculture, to make university training more practical and better connected to the country’s economic priorities.
He further pointed to the importance of basic education, saying efforts to improve universities must be supported by stronger learning at the foundational level.
Speaking on behalf of the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development and Supervising Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Lawal Olohungbebe, urged the university leaders to turn their discussions into actions that would benefit communities.
He said the experience of the vice-chancellors could help produce workable responses to some of the challenges confronting Nigeria’s education sector.
Olohungbebe cautioned against allowing the conference to end with recommendations that would remain unused.
“We look forward to having fruitful deliberations, and not just the ones that will end up on the shelves, but the ones that will end up in our communities, making a local impact and international relevance,” he said.
The conference brought together vice-chancellors and other stakeholders to examine challenges within the university system and discuss ways of making Nigerian higher institutions better equipped for the country’s changing technological, economic and social needs.