The Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, and the Executive Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, have called for comprehensive reforms to make Nigeria’s education system more relevant to national development and the needs of employers.
They made the call on Tuesday during ABUAD’s convocation lecture, titled “Functional Education and the Nigerian Project: Strategic Human Capital Development for National Renewal.”
Okonkwo said higher education must go beyond awarding certificates and equip students with practical skills that can help them solve real-world problems.
“If higher education is to become the principal driver of national renewal, what is required is a comprehensive and coordinated reform agenda that deliberately aligns education with the developmental aspirations of the Nigerian state,” he said.
He urged universities to strengthen students’ abilities in critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, creativity and lifelong learning.
The airline executive also called for stronger partnerships among universities, industries and government to ensure that academic programmes reflect the changing demands of the labour market.
According to him, technical and vocational education should receive renewed attention, while polytechnics should regain their strategic role in developing practical skills.
Okonkwo further urged the National Universities Commission to focus more on what graduates can do with their knowledge rather than relying mainly on the curriculum they have completed.
Addressing the graduating students, he said, “Let the true evidence of your education be found in what you do with the knowledge and opportunities you have received.”
Babalola supported the call for curriculum reform, saying university programmes should prepare students for life after graduation.
“Certainly, there is a need for the Federal Government to review the curriculum of universities to align with what we need after school, in real life. That is an important point. I see a lot of loopholes in our present curriculum,” he said.
The ABUAD chancellor also expressed concern about the process of establishing private universities, arguing that stronger regulation was needed to protect educational standards.
The calls come amid continuing discussions about graduate employability, skills development and the role of higher education in Nigeria’s economic growth.
