By Adesina Wahab
Former Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Prof. Wande Abimbola, has argued that it should not be compulsory for only professors to be appointed as vice chancellors in Nigerian universities.
According to him, the ability to attract funds and secure developmental projects for institutions should be considered more important than holding a doctorate degree or attaining the rank of professor.
Speaking on the online discourse Boiling Point Arena, hosted by public relations strategist Dr. Ayo Arowojolu, Abimbola cited examples from the United States, where even first-degree holders have served as university presidents — the equivalent of vice chancellors.
“I have taught in 10 American universities, including Harvard and Boston University,” he said. “When I was there, I discovered that the person appointed as President of the university had only a Bachelor of Arts degree. In America, they put a premium on who can raise funds, who is connected to government and industry, and who can advance the university, not just on academic titles.”
He described it as a “tragedy” for vice chancellors in Nigeria to sit idly while government funding for universities continues to decline. Instead, he urged university leaders to leverage alumni networks and societal goodwill to mobilise resources.
“The biggest asset of any university is its alumni,” he said. “Such people are expected to give back to the institutions that nurtured them. Unfortunately, giving is not our culture in Nigeria. Wealthy people hardly see it as their responsibility to support institutions that shaped them.”
Abimbola called on the Federal Government to urgently set up a commission of inquiry to recommend reforms capable of rescuing the country’s ailing higher education system.
“The university system is slowly dying before our very eyes,” he warned. “If funds are not forthcoming from government, then the vice chancellor must know what to do to make things better.”
