A Professor of Administration of Higher Education, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, Prof Ibekwe Robert-Okah, has called for adquate funding in the nation’s universities, so as to adequately maintain the standard of education that would in turn stimulate growth and development in Nigeria.
Ibekwe, while canvassing for massive investment in the education sector, also decried the culture of looting public funds to the detriment of the citizens by public officers.
The university lecturer made the assertion, while delivering his inaugural lecture at 38th Inaugural Lecture edition of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt titled, ‘Battered Tower And Tattered Gown: A National Dilemma,’ held at the university’s auditorium last Thursday, May 26, 2022.
He averred that quality of lecturers is determinant of the quality of education, saying: “No education system can rise above the quality of it’s teaching staffs.”
According to him, “Teachers are expected to live by example as education engineers as well as technicians, who are the soul of any educational system. The quality of teachers and their methods of teaching no doubt have declined in recent times in Nigerian universities due to lack of proper funding, poor teachers salary payment, lack of essential facilities such as books, journals, teaching aids as well as laboratory equipment. However, there is the problem of attrition and ‘brain drain.”
The Professor of described the University as a community of scholars and students engaged in a complex task where new knowledge, innovation, research and solutions could be provided for the overall development of the people.
He explained that the Nigerian university system has lost values due to negligence by the Federal Government, resulting to backwardness, underdevelopment, mediocrity and dangers, while comparing South Korea of about 52 million population to that of Nigeria which is over 250 million population, noted that there is a world power following their interest in research and quality education, rather than looting of public funds as practiced here in Nigeria.
The university Don however, enumerated other challenges facing the Nigerian university system to include: lack of quality lecturers, inadequate funding, high number of universities, failure of the FG to meet ASUU’s demands, carrying capacity, large number of members of the Senate, poverty level of citizens, among others.

He advised the government to adequately fund universities, improve the welfare package of the academic staff, and reduce the seven academic ranks in university to just three cadres, namely: “Lecturer, Senior lecturer and Professor,” adding that the measures would encourage academic research for innovations, development and dearth of professionals from the country to greener pastures.

Earlier, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, who was represented by the former Acting Vice-Chancellor of the Institution, Professor Joseph Kinanee, appreciated the efforts of the inaugural lecturer for his outstanding academic work, noting that the academic work would help the country grow in science and technology if the Federal government pays attention to it.

Onuchuku charged members of the institution as well as participants to take full advantage of the lecture, despite the challenges been confronted with in the country in order to improve on themselves to avoid brain drain.

He enjoined lecturers to align with students in such a manner that they can assist in the infrastructural development of the institution after graduation, instead of total dependant on government.

By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana