Oloyede Charges Kwara Varsities to Become Engines of State Development

Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Consortium of Universities in Kwara State (KU8+), Prof. Ishaq Olanrewaju Oloyede has challenged universities in the state to be the state’s “developmental brain box” by proffering research-driven solutions to the state’s economic and social challenges.

The immediate past Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) made the call in a goodwill message at the weekend’s opening of the Fourth KU8+ Conference at Summit University, Offa.

He urged the universities to pool their expertise to change agriculture, revive collapsing industries and give the government objective advice on policies that can lead to sustainable development.

Oloyede said universities should be apolitical and give independent and objective advice to governments, which he called a sanitizing role.

He recalled his time as Vise Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, when he declined an appointment as a Presiding Officer in a national election, because he believed that universities should remain neutral and be available to mediate when political actors disagree.

He urged the KU8+ institutions to collaborate in creating innovative solutions to boost agricultural productivity and economic growth, noting that Kwara is home to several Federal Government institutions with mandates in the agricultural sector.

They include Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, National Center for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM), Faculty of Agriculture, among others.

Oloyede said agriculture was one of the state’s greatest strengths and the concentration of agricultural institutions was an opportunity for the universities to develop solutions to the challenges confronting the sector.

He also lamented the collapse of major industries in the state such as Bacita Sugar Company, Jebba Paper Mill and Tobacco Company.

Oloyede charged the universities to use research and innovation to revive such industries and reinvent the state’s economy.

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He said that universities should be helping governments to plan for the future by coming up with new ideas and practical solutions to emerging challenges, rather than simply reacting to events.
The former JAMB Registrar, commended the Vise Chancellor of the University of Ilorin and Chairman of KU8+, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, for forming the consortium.

He said the consortium was an initiative of the Egbewole administration, contrary to claims in some quarters that he was the founder of KU8+. He said, “During my tenure as vise chancellor, the University of Ilorin pioneered earlier collaborative initiatives like AWAU and U6+.

The Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II, also spoke and congratulated the organizers, describing KU8+ as a laudable initiative that was redefining collaboration among universities in the state.

He applauded the university leaders for coming together to promote educational development and expressed hope that the collaboration would help Kwara produce some of the best students in Nigeria thru shared programs and initiatives.

Meanwhile, the second lead paper presenter, Emeritus Professor of Science Education, Olugbemiro Jegede, challenged KU8+ members to boost collaboration via a credit transfer system that would allow for smooth movement of students among the member institutions.

Jegede also proposed staff and student exchange programs, joint degree awards, and collaborative teaching and research initiatives to achieve greater academic integration among the universities.

He proposed a consortium-wide Learning Management System (LMS), virtual campuses, shared high performance computing facilities and cloud infrastructure as one academic ecosystem.

Pooling resources, he said, would eliminate unnecessary duplication, improve efficiency and expand access to quality teaching, learning and research facilities across member universities.

Academic integrity, technological innovation, evidence-based practices and institutional collaboration would determine the future of higher education, Jegede said.

He urged universities to break the silos by linking research, teaching and community engagement to create a robust and inclusive higher education system that can drive national development.