Nigerian education system needs fundamental and critical reforms — VC OAU

The Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof Eyitope  Ogunbodede said  Nigerian educational institutions at all levels needs to undergo fundamental and critical reforms.

He said, this would make it have meaningful contributions to national and global development in the post COVID-19 era.

Ogunbodede, who was the guest lecturer at the Prof Adetokunbo Babatunde Sofoluwe 9th Memorial lecture held at the J.F. Ade Ajayi Auditorium, Akoka, said the country’s educational system must be redesigned to support the developmental needs of the society to meet global standards.

The event, organised by the UNILAG Alumni Association, was chaired by former Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Rahman Bello.

High-point of the event include unveiling and launching of the alumni’s magazine, coordinated by the association’s President World-Wide, and Chairman of Channels TV, Dr. John Momoh.

Ogunbodede said: “One major obstacle is that people often hold on tenaciously to what they are familiar with and act only on things they know.  They are understandably wary of breaking new grounds and venturing into the ‘unknown’.  Unfortunately, what we know doesn’t seem to work anymore and the educational system before us requires that we take a different approach.”

UNILAG Vice Chancellor Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe said the school’s structure remains intact in spite of several attempts to alter it.

According to him, “The VC of UNILAG can manage any university in the world but a Vice Chancellor from Harvard or Oxford University may not successfully manage any university in Nigeria.”