The University of Ibadan (UI) will host its 47th University Lecture Series in November, with Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka set to examine how the Nigerian university system can be repositioned to drive sustainable national development.
The lecture, titled “Repositioning the Nigerian University System: Basis for Sustainable National Development,” will be delivered in three parts on November 5, 19 and 26, 2026, at 3 p.m. each day at Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan.
Professor Olayinka, a Professor of Applied Geophysics in the Department of Geology, and the 12th Vice Chancellor of the institution, is expected to explore the historical foundations of the Nigerian university system, the crises confronting it and the steps required to shape its future.
The first part, scheduled for November 5, will examine the historical context of the university system. The second, on November 19, will focus on mitigating the crises facing the sector, while the final part, billed for November 26, will set an agenda for the future.
The lecture series comes against the backdrop of continuing discussions about the role of universities in national development and the need to strengthen higher education institutions to respond effectively to Nigeria’s changing social, economic and developmental needs.
Established by a University of Ibadan Senate paper on March 9, 1971, the University Lecture Series is designed to provide a platform for original scholarship and the dissemination of knowledge beyond narrow academic circles. The Senate paper stipulates that lecturers should seek to make “a significant and original contribution to his field of research.” It further requires that the lectures, while maintaining high scholarly and literary standards, should be presented in a manner that gives them wide appeal.
The 47th edition will therefore provide an opportunity to examine the historical evolution of Nigerian universities, reflect on the challenges affecting their effectiveness and consider possible pathways towards a more sustainable and development-oriented higher education system.
