A Professor of Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Technology and Provost of the College of Pharmacy, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Mbang Femi-Oyewo, has urged Nigerian lecturers and students writing research papers to always use and reference Nigerian authors, especially within academic circles, rather than authors from other countries.
She said that this is one of the best ways to promote and enhance the image and ranking status of Nigerian universities, as well as their faculty members, on a global scale.
She stated that citing foreign authors and researchers when there are more than enough local colleagues in relevant fields only serves to promote those foreign counterparts and their institutions at the expense of local scholars and universities.
Mrs Femi-Oyewo shared this view while delivering the sixth Founders’ Day lecture of Trinity University, Yaba, Lagos, on Tuesday.
She spoke on the topic titled “Trinity University brand and the contemporary challenges of university education in Nigeria.”
According to her, a university that knows its worth must be able to grow into a global brand that conducts cutting-edge research, produces highly sought-after graduates, and also engages in community service.
She noted that while it is important for lecturers to deliver quality and impactful lectures to students, it is equally imperative for them to address societal problems through research.
“That is why any lecturer, who only likes to teach but not bothers about conducting research will go nowhere,” she argued, adding that “This is because lecturing is half work done expected of every faculty member.”
While acknowledging the myriad of challenges confronting university education in Nigeria—including paucity of funds, poor leadership, inadequate infrastructure, poor working environment, poor staff remuneration and welfare, brain drain, inappropriate curriculum, lack of research and science laboratories, and more—the don urged each university, especially the privately owned, to come up with definite solutions to overcome them.
She advocated, among other measures, multiple sources of revenue such as research grants, endowment funds, and the offering of special programmes.
The lecturer, who is a member of the governing council of Trinity University and a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, explained that such funds should be channelled towards infrastructural development, learning and teaching tools, digital transformation, capacity building, curriculum restructuring, the appointment of visionary leaders and faculty members, and the adoption of student-centred and evidence-based decision-making, among other initiatives.
“We should also have Nigerian universities collaborating and partnering in research and linkage programmes with other foreign universities and related institutions and scholars,” she said, noting “that is what makes a university truly universal.”
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Earlier in her remarks at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, who chaired the occasion, highlighted the importance of research in university education.
According to her, a university is like a social contract between gown and town and therefore research, not teaching, is the primary function of a university.
She said that was why it is important for Nigerian universities to renew their focus on making research their first priority rather than teaching.
Ogunsola explained that university education is meant to generate new knowledge to solve societal challenges as they arise, adding that this is what differentiates secondary education from university education.
According to her, university education goes beyond the mere impartation of knowledge and skills. It requires the conduct of evidence-based research and, at the same time, the production of well-rounded individuals who can provide solutions to human problems.
The Vice-Chancellor, however, commended the leadership of Trinity University for not only taking that path but also remaining committed to the vision and mission of the institution.
She acknowledged the rapid growth that has taken place in the university, stating that the development has surpassed all expectations for a private university that is only six years old.
She urged the leadership and faculty members to work harder and make the university an irresistible brand, while promising UNILAG’s continued support.
In their separate addresses, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the university, Pastor Samuel Olatunji, and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Clement Kolawole, reflected on the university’s humble beginnings six years ago, when it commenced operations with just 16 students and five staff members.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, Trinity University’s student and staff populations are now over 1,800 and 120, respectively.
“All our 18 courses and programmes are fully accredited by the National Universities Commission and the relevant professional bodies for the professional courses among them, and we are introducing more courses,” he noted.
Kolawole explained the essence of the sixth Founders’ Day anniversary, saying, “It is to thank God for His immense supports for what the university is doing and also showcase the achievements recorded within six years period and then project for the future.”
He thanked all the individuals and institutions, including UNILAG, that have supported the university in achieving its milestones, pledging that the institution will remain focused and committed to its mandate.
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