The Vice-Chancellor of Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State, Prof. Abel Olajide Olorunnisola, has called for increased funding for Nigerian universities, saying adequate investment is essential if the institutions are to compete effectively with their counterparts globally.

 

Prof. Olorunnisola made the call while receiving the Cred 360 Excellence in Educational Leadership Award presented to him by Cred 360 Media Limited, an Ibadan-based media, public relations and advertising firm.

 

The organisation honoured the vice-chancellor for his contributions to university administration, scholarship and education, especially when he was the Vice-Chancellor of Dominion University, Ibadan.

 

The professor, who assumed office as Vice-Chancellor of Bells University of Technology on August 1, 2026, said Nigerian universities had continued to produce graduates and professionals capable of competing internationally despite the challenges confronting the higher education sector.

 

He, however, identified inadequate funding as a major impediment to the development and global competitiveness of the nation’s universities.

 

According to him, the government must recognise universities as strategic institutions critical to national development and provide the resources required to strengthen infrastructure, research, human capital and digital learning.

 

Olorunnisola noted that producing globally competitive professionals required substantial investment, adding that universities needed modern infrastructure, competitive remuneration and conducive working environments to attract and retain quality academics.

 

He said Nigeria had demonstrated its capacity to produce world-class professionals, citing Nigerian doctors, engineers, software developers and other professionals who were making significant contributions across the world.

 

The VC said the quality of Nigerian professionals abroad was evidence that the country’s universities possessed considerable potential, despite the funding and infrastructural challenges facing them.

 

He said the challenge was for the government and other stakeholders to create an environment that would enable universities to maximise their potential.

 

Prof. Olorunnisola also advocated stronger investment in digital infrastructure, saying technological development had fundamentally changed the way students learn and how universities should deliver education.

 

He noted that students could now access information through artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, online videos and other digital platforms, making it necessary for lecturers to adopt more interactive approaches to teaching.

 

He explained that rather than treating students as passive recipients of knowledge, lecturers should create interactive classrooms where technology could be deployed responsibly to enhance learning.

 

The professor warned that universities could no longer operate as though lecturers were the sole repositories of knowledge, noting that students could easily verify information online.

 

He also called for greater attention to digital infrastructure, particularly in public universities, saying the absence of adequate systems had compounded the effects of disruptions such as industrial actions and the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

According to him, robust digital infrastructure would enable universities to sustain teaching and learning during periods when physical access to campuses was disrupted.

 

Olorunnisola also raised concerns about the welfare of university academics, arguing that stagnant salaries had significantly eroded the purchasing power of lecturers.

 

He said the cost of living had changed dramatically over the years while the remuneration of academics had not kept pace with inflation and rising living costs.

 

He argued that improving the welfare of academics was essential to maintaining quality teaching, research and international engagement.

 

The Vice-Chancellor also said the economic situation had placed enormous pressure on students and their parents, particularly those in private universities.

 

He explained that the challenge was not tuition alone but the overall cost of maintaining students, including feeding, accommodation and other daily expenses.

 

He stressed that universities also needed to build strong reputations, maintain discipline and differentiate themselves through quality programmes, infrastructure and human capital.

 

Speaking on his agenda for Bells University of Technology, the VC said his administration would focus on strengthening the institution’s reputation, developing human capital, improving infrastructure and identifying areas that would distinguish the university from its competitors.

 

He said no two universities could be exactly the same, adding that each institution must determine what it wanted to be known for.