The Faculty of Arts of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) recently marked its 60th anniversary with a lecture that highlighted the importance of the humanities in shaping Africa’s technological advancement.

Social justice advocate and public policy scholar, Dr Labode Obanor, in his keynote address, emphasised the need for the humanities to guide technology.

According to him, the challenge facing Africa today is not the absence of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, but rather a shortage of ethics and moral values.

“Our problem today is not the absence of science; it is not the lack of technology or engineering. The problem we have is that we have been divorced from our humanity. We have been separated from our conscience,” he stated.

Obanor emphasised that the humanities are essential in ensuring that technological innovations serve humanity, rather than the other way around.

“If science builds the engine of society, the humanities give it direction. Without moral guidance, even progress can become dangerous,” he noted. The Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Prof. Akanbi Ilupeju, described the anniversary as a celebration of intellectual excellence and a call to action to redefine the faculty’s role in a rapidly evolving academic and technological environment.

The faculty also launched a N500 million Endowment Trust Fund to support students, foster groundbreaking research, and modernise its infrastructure.

Obanor proposed the creation of a Digital Humanities Innovation Hub (DHIH) at the Faculty of Arts, a space where technology and the arts intersect, and coding meets storytelling.

“Imagine students learning not just how to build new tools, but asking the right questions about how those tools shape our world,” he said. The 60th anniversary celebration underscores the Faculty of Arts’ commitment to producing graduates who are not only knowledgeable but also thoughtful, creative, and equipped with the skills to navigate the complexities of the modern world.