Dr Oluwatayo Aduloju, Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), has canvassed dedicated education hubs to advance and create more wealth in the country.
Delivering the 55th University of Lagos (UNILAG) Convocation Lecture – ‘Universities as Hubs for Development and Wealth Creation’ – on Monday – yesterday, January 13, Aduloju referenced Asian countries which, according to him, have become today’s world’s middle powers, saying they transformed their educational institutions into hubs that connect industry, government and the larger society.
He said that Nigeria would need to build effective economic, social and political institutions which would address current deficits observed in its financial, political and social frameworks.
“There is currently no dedicated education hub for development,” he said.
According to him, there is the need to create education hubs that bridge the gap between academia and industry, fostering collaboration that rethinks societal functions and aligns goals with the country’s development paths.
Aduloju said that a multi-disciplinary, frontier-target-driven national education hub would require broad-based political authorisation to be globally competitive.
“To do this, a few selected universities, first five public universities along with top five private universities to start, should be authorised to financially and institutionally re-organise their operating model to achieve progress,” he said.
According to him, there is the need to rebuild Nigeria’s intellectual foundation to enhance productivity and competitiveness, establish hubs to develop leaders and skilled workforce, enabling Nigeria to become a leading industrial reformer in Africa.
He urged that universities should inspire students to contribute to a shared vision for Nigeria’s future by establishing coordinated hubs for development and wealth creation in collaboration with industry-led competency councils.
The lecturer advised the graduates to identify what they have passion for and go for them.
Earlier, in an address of welcome, the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, described the topic of the lecture as apt, explaining that the lecturer, Prof. Aduloju, had made enormous contributions to societal development, including reform initiatives in several socio-economic fields, such as aviation, agriculture, finance and fiscal development.
“In an era of rapid changes in knowledge, innovation and complex challenges, it is imperative to continuously evaluate how well our university is doing in fulfilling its social contract with society to provide fit-for-purpose manpower, generate new knowledge to address societal problems and provide technology to shape the future,” Prof. Ogunsola declared.
“How do we use and optimise the talents in our universities? How do we convert the knowledge and theories to policies, devices and enterprises that drive development.
“How do we produce value that drives wealth creation?”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Mr Babatunde Fashola, a former Governor of Lagos State and former Minister of Works and Housing, as commending UNILAG for efforts towards national advancement.
Fashola was the Chairman of the occasion.
