Prof. Ademola Popoola of the Obafemi Awolowo University, on Thursday said Nigerian University System was not fulfilling the cardinal mission of knowledge generation, transmission and application.

Popoola, a Professor of Law, said this while delivering the Convocation Lecture for the 8th and 9th Convocation Ceremony at the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete.

The convocation lecture has its title as ‘Higher Education Nigerians- A journey across time and space’.

The professor of Comparative Public Law, International Legal Studies and Jurisprudence said the higher education landscape in Nigeria today presented many paradoxes and contradictions.

He said though the number of universities had grown exponentially in response to the need to meet the challenges of higher education, the ranking of Nigerian universities had not been impressive.

”There has also been growing concerns over the quality of graduates apart from the question of relevance of the institutions to national development, in terms of paucity of research and development impact.

”The sector is obviously in crisis caused by poor governance, inadequate funding, corruption, lack of commitment and support for research and its deliverables,” he said.

Popoola said five cluster variables were identified to discuss the Nigerian University system in terms of facilities, quality of teaching, quality of research, community service, efficiency of governance and management and funding.

On facilities, he said there was a huge gap of magnitude of 70 per cent that existed between where the median ranked Nigerian University was and where it should be to attain world-class status.

” A differential of about 59 per cent was recorded for the research variable with infrastructure for ground-breaking research being weak.

”These have combined to limit the contributions of Nigerian universities to solving national and global problems through research,” Popoola said.

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Popoola said a university must perform its teaching function not only by giving its graduates the means to earn a living.

“But the means to be able to apply themselves intelligently to more complex issues of life.”

He, however, noted that COVID-19 pandemic was not showing signs of early exit, “so our institutions at all levels should evolve means of coping with the pandemic.”

”The hybrid mode of online and in-class learning will have to be intensified.

”The Open and Distance Education mode also need to be deepened if only to broaden access to Higher Education,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor of KWASU, Prof. Mustapha Akanbi, said the topic of the lecture was not only germane to their existence as a university.

He said the topic would set it thinking as a Nigerian university whether on the path to joining the global crème of world-class universities.

Akanbi said the life of the lecturer presented many positive facets which should interest and intrigue “our generation and those yet to come especially in this trying time.” (NAN)