Let universities confront challenges, says Adedimeji, ASE VC

T The Vice-Chancellor of the African School of Economics – the Pan-African University of Excellence – Abuja, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, has called for collaboration among universities while tasking them on the need to confront global challenges.

Prof. Adedimeji made this call in his address, “Ideas Rule the World”, delivered at the fourth Public Lecture of the University on Thursday, June 26, 2025.

The lecture, “The 21st Century Nigerian University: Pitfalls and Pathways”, was delivered by Prof. Moses Ochonu of Vanderbilt University, USA.

Citing a study by the University of Lincoln, Prof. Adedimeji identified the 10 grand challenges of the 21st century as changing economic powers, living in a global society, void of vision and foresight, technological disruption, migration and mobility (which manifest in what we call the Japa syndrome in Nigeria), conflict and war, civic disaffection, increasing inequality of wealth and income, mitigating environmental and ecological damage as well as identities and changing norms in the society.

He noted that addressing these challenges requires functional university education and urged universities to come together to overcome those challenges as well as the national ones. Alluding to the eagle, which he said would fly high when it catches a tortoise and drop it knowing that the impact of the fall would break its hard shell and then eat it, he urged Nigerians to accept challenges.

An obstacle, he stressed, would therefore be converted by an eagle to an opportunity to use its full strength to fly high.

The Vice Chancellor however counselled that, unlike the eagle that hunts alone, universities should synergise. “I, therefore, call for concerted efforts of the Triple-Helix, the government, the academia and the industry/society in according the university its pride of place by doing what is right at the right time. It is said that one can travel fast alone but can only travel far together,” he said.

In his lecture, the Guest Speaker identified the challenges facing Nigerian universities while condemning what he referred to as the subversion of the cosmopolitan ethos of higher education that has given room to provincialism and inbreeding.

He advocated for the introduction of Student Bill of Rights and called for the recognition of excellent teachers in the system as a way of enhancing quality teaching.

The lecture was attended by critical stakeholders in the university system, including the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu; the Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), Prof. Andrew Haruna, both of whom delivered their goodwill messages, and Vice-Chancellors and representatives of universities, academics and the public, who contributed to the discussion.