How challenging has it been running a new and growing university?
At the inauguration of the Governing Council of the University on 27th September, 2010, by His Excellency, the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, the first major task before the then Council was how to retrieve the operating licence of the university that was withdrawn by the National Universities Commission (NUC) apparently for the failure of the university to commence academic activities three years after its initial establishment and for lack of infrastructural facilities to herald the effective take-off of the new university. At inception in September 2010, there were no students, no academic, technical and administrative staff. Osustech then had only existed in name without any concrete and meaningful facilities on ground. Giving this background, there was no way the NUC could have restored the operating licence it had earlier withdrawn.
As I said earlier, the first major task for the then Council was how to retrieve the operating licence of the university from the NUC. As the Vice-Chancellor, I decided to pursue with vigour the retrieval of the licence with NUC. After interaction with NUC officials, the Executive Secretary of the NUC finally agreed to dispatch a four-man Resource Verification Team to the university in November, 2010 to assess the quantity and quality of available facilities. The attention of the Governor was drawn to this request and he immediately set in motion the process of identifying and acquiring a take-off site for the university. The new site upon identification at Idepe, Okitipupa was renovated for the use of the university. The Governor also approved a take-off grant to the new Council for the procurement of vital equipment and facilities and for the erection of new and additional buildings at the take-off site.
Following the successful visit and the positive recommendation of the Resource Verification Team of the NUC, the NUC formally restored the operating licence and approved that the university could commence academic activities in 10 approved programmes in the Faculty of Science.
What is your reaction to recent unrest and demonstrations in your school over increment of fees?
Let me start by correcting the wrong impression that there was a “hike” in school fees at Osustech. There was never a time that there was a hike in the school fees at Osustech. The Governing Council at its inaugural meeting on September 27 approved inter alia a fee of N100,000.00 and N150,000.00 per session for indigenes and non-indigenes respectively. This fee schedule has since been maintained in the last five sessions.
School fees are charged in well-established and high ranking universities all over the world including nearby countries like Ghana. We should also observe the strategy now employed by some universities in Europe to visit Nigeria to recruit high calibre Nigerian students who have to pay fees that will range from about USD5,000 to USD20,000. Such fees when well-managed, ensure equipping and maintaining excellent laboratories that attract international students, scholars and teachers. The output of research from such excellent academic centres made them gain international recognition and high ranking. Osustech has been making steady progress in the last five years. We are mindful of producing graduates who are employable in the job market or graduates who are job creators.
On the issue of students’ protest on school fees, it is indeed most unfortunate. We have had four uninterrupted academic sessions since January, 2011 when academic activities commenced. Our students hitherto have been excellent in conduct and character. Earlier, there had been previous agitations by staff over unpaid salaries. The staff, in view of this development, were becoming agitated. The students took advantage of the tense situation to clamour for a reduction in school fees and for improved infrastructural facilities. They went ahead with the support of “outsiders” to circulate false information about the university. Education and health issues should not be subject of partisan politics, otherwise the whole country will suffer from the consequences of misinformation.
The destruction, stealing and vandalisation of university properties in the name of protests and demonstration should be condemned by people of goodwill. Protests and demonstrations though are legitimate means of channeling grievances but should be done in civil manners devoid of abuse and destruction as being done and practised in advanced climes. Harassment, intimidation, “arrest and detention” of committed and dedicated staff that go about their lawful duties by students under the guise of protests and demonstrations are criminal offences which should attract severe penalties. A situation where protests are being used as means of personal vendetta against perceived enemies and opposition in a university system is untidy. No modern university can survive in an environment of hatred and acrimony.
Appointments and promotions into positions in the university system should be based on merit or measured in terms of performance and output and not based on ethnicity or sentiments. Therefore, a situation where ethnicity and mediocrity is being introduced into the process of appointment or promotion is a bad sign pointing to the downgrading of the entire system. Universities all over the world are universal institutions meant to serve wider and not sectional or parochial interests. There should be no “preferred community candidate” for positions in a modern university setting where people from all walks of life should be free to work and contribute meaningfully to its development. In the past, Nigerian universities used to have as faculty members people from Britain, United States, Canada, Pakistan, India and from other African nations. We also used to have foreign students from these countries that came in large numbers to study in Nigeria. Today, the reverse is the case. This explains partly why many Nigerian universities fail to make the first top 500 in global ranking of universities.
Appointment into positions and admission of students in a modern university setting should be guided by established rules and not based on race, religion, political affiliation, ethnicity, social or economic status. Osustech as a modern university should not be seen to encourage or promote sectionalism, division or sentiments. The notion or belief that the University that is located in a particular environment is meant to serve the interest of the community alone should be discouraged. Attempt should be made by government and people of goodwill to enlighten and re-orientate the people of the communities where a particular university is located that such university is meant for the generality of Nigerians and not a “local or village university” that is established to serve parochial interests.
The local politicians too should also be re-orientated not to interfere in the internal administration of institution(s) located in their domains. People tend to see tertiary institutions established in their localities as “personal institutions” which should be exploited for personal gains and for the pursuit of personal agenda for political and economic gains. No modern university can thrive in a hostile environment.
Nigeria’s technological growth is moving at a snail pace. Despite several institutions of science and technology in the country, we are yet to produce a wholly made in Nigeria car (for instance). What is wrong with the system?
One of the major challenges of universities and research institutions in Nigeria has been poor or lack of funding from governments at all levels. Most universities especially universities of technology require good funding to be able to make meaningful impact towards the technological advancement of the country. Apart from this, most research outputs from these institutions are hardly appropriated or utilized by governments and companies involved in the production of vital materials needed for industrial growth. The government, for instance, requires a great deal of political will to provide the needed environment for healthy industrial growth. The steel industry must be fully harnessed and regular supply of electricity should be guaranteed for sustainable industrial growth and development. A situation where universities and research institutes rely on generators to provide electricity and power vital research equipment does not augur well for industrial growth. Therefore, for any meaningful development to take place especially, technological breakthrough in the area of motor car production, there must be effort in the direction of steady electricity coupled with the improvement and funding of the steel sector of the economy.
What is your reaction to the growing number of private and public higher institutions in the country? Some said they are mushrooming and that it is unhealthy.
I don’t think that the number of private and public higher institutions in Nigeria with a population of over 170 million is on the high side. What the country really needs at the moment is to ensure that these tertiary institutions update their curricula in tune with modern best practices and in line with the current realities of the country. Apart from this, the coordinating and regulating bodies in charge of tertiary education in the country such as the NUC and the NBTE should ensure that all higher institutions both private and public adhere strictly to the minimum academic standards as outlined by these regulating bodies. In this regard, these bodies should be more effective in its statutory roles of ensuring standard, quality and efficient service delivery in our higher institutions.
A development where about 27 universities were closed down recently by the NUC for illegal operation is worrisome not good for the image of the country. A situation where graduates of our tertiary institutions are without basic knowledge and mastery of the subject of study is not tidy for the entire system. On the whole, I do not think the number of higher institutions we have in the country is on the high side but we only need to put some control measures in order to ensure sanity in the entire system.
How can Nigeria develop its science and technology base?
As said earlier, there are three key issues involved in making Nigeria develop its science and technology base. First, there must be proper funding of universities and research institutes to enable them focus on their primary assignments. Second, the government on its part should play its role of providing a conducive environment for sustainable growth and development. In this regard, attention should be paid to the development of vital key sectors like energy and steel. Thirdly, there should be workable synergy between the universities and the industrial sector.
