Nigerian Universities Must Adapt, Embrace AI To Remain Relevant — Vice-Chancellors

The Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) has called on Nigerian universities to urgently adapt to emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), warning that institutions must become more resilient to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.

The CVCNU Chairman, Prof. Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, made the call on Tuesday in Ilorin at the 37th Annual General Assembly and Conference of the committee, hosted by the University of Ilorin.

The conference, themed:“Building Resilient Universities for Nigeria,” brought together vice-chancellors, education administrators, regulators and other stakeholders to deliberate on the future of the Nigerian university system.

Ezemonye said universities were facing a critical test, not of their survival, but of their relevance to a young and increasingly demanding population.

He said the university system must prepare for a future shaped by artificial intelligence, rapid population growth and intense global economic competition.

“We meet at an hour when the Nigerian university is being tested as it has seldom been tested since the years immediately after independence. The test is not of our survival, for we have survived much. It is of our relevance to a young, restless and expectant nation.”

According to him, resilience in the university system should not be limited to surviving crises but must include the ability to withstand funding challenges, industrial disputes, demographic pressures, technological disruption and the loss of skilled personnel while maintaining excellence in teaching, research and community service.

The CVCNU chairman said the conference would focus on four key areas, including governance, university autonomy and financial sustainability; the development of AI-ready universities; relations between universities, government, regulators, industry and labour; as well as human capital, academic excellence and the welfare of students and staff.

Ezemonye also highlighted the strategic role of universities in national development, saying they were responsible for producing the professionals, innovators and leaders needed to advance the country.

He urged universities to move beyond the traditional perception of the institution as an “Ivory Tower” detached from society and become stronger partners in addressing national and community challenges.

The CVCNU chairman proposed that Nigerian universities should increasingly be regarded as “Innovation Engines,” “Knowledge Greenhouses,” “Community Anchors” and the “Nation’s Compass.”

He said achieving this transformation would require changes in the management, funding and assessment of universities, as well as stronger partnerships with government, industry and local communities.

Ezemonye further urged stakeholders to engage in frank discussions about the challenges confronting the university system and ensure that the outcome of the conference translated into practical actions.

“The challenges before us are too grave and too urgent to be obscured by politeness or deference. We must speak plainly about the failures of the past and the demands of the future,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities, Prof. Ahmed Yayale Ahmed, called for stronger cooperation between Governing Councils and Vice-Chancellors to address the challenges facing Nigerian universities.

Ahmed said the conference theme was particularly relevant in view of funding constraints, technological changes, global competition and growing demands for accountability in the university system.

He urged Vice-Chancellors to see Pro-Chancellors and Governing Councils as partners in progress rather than rivals, stressing that effective governance required mutual respect, transparency and clearly defined responsibilities.

Ahmed advised vice-chancellors to be open with Governing Councils on issues relating to finances, appointments, procurement, projects and other major decisions.

He, however, urged Governing Councils to maintain effective oversight without interfering in the day-to-day administration of universities.

“We must replace rivalry with partnership, suspicion with transparency, and confrontation with constructive engagement,” he said.

The stakeholders at the conference are expected to deliberate on strategies to build more resilient, innovative and sustainable Nigerian universities capable of responding to technological changes and the country’s growing development needs.