The 77th Foundation Day of the University of Ibadan (UI), held on Monday, November 17, 2025, the annual day reserved by Nigeria’s premier university for the conferment of academic and honorary doctorate degrees, became a platform for frank reflections on the state of the nation’s university system, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar, the Pro-Chancellor, Chief Bisi Akande, and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale, delivered deeply stirring addresses.
Represented at the ceremony,Tinubu acknowledged the mounting pressures confronting tertiary institutions, particularly the chronic problem of inadequate funding.
He praised university unions for consistently drawing national attention to the financial crisis in the sector but urged them to embrace a broader national perspective.
He said, “Like many other sectors, Nigeria’s university system faces significant challenges that hinder its ability to compete globally. It is unrealistic to allocate all national resources solely to the education sector. All sectors need increased funding, and the government is doing its best within available resources.”
The President appealed to unions to collaborate with the government in developing a sustainable funding model “that reflects local realities while aligning with global best practices,” stressing that universities must re-examine their relevance to national and global development.
“I challenge Nigerian universities to conduct a thorough self-assessment. How well are we meeting the expectations of our nation and the global community? How effectively are we equipping students to become agents of change?” he asked.
In his speech, Alhaji Sa’adu Abubakar echoed concerns about underfunding and prayed for an improvement in Nigeria’s economic situation so that government policies can be fully implemented.
The Emir of Sokoto appealed for patience and cooperation among parents, students, and stakeholders as universities seek creative ways to complement government efforts.
“Collaboration is vital to preserving the standards we cherish,” he opined.
Perhaps the most piercing critique came from the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Chief Bisi Akande, who lamented what he described as excessive federal bureaucracy suffocating federal universities, including UI, despite clear establishment laws designed to guarantee their autonomy.
According to him, universities had gradually been transformed into extensions of federal ministries and agencies, leaving Vice-Chancellors entangled in unnecessary approval loops, even for staff appointments.
He illustrated the situation with a vivid example: “To employ a new driver, a security worker, or a gardener, an application must go to the Ministry of Education for approval, then another approval for advertisement. After interviews, where the Ministry of Education, the Federal Character Commission, and the Office of the Head of Service must be represented, recommendations still return to the same agencies for approval. And after that, the list queues for salary capture by the Office of the Accountant-General. If this process is not concluded before the end of the budget year, the university must begin all over again.”
He warned that such “ugly, corrupt bureaucracy” hampers talent recruitment, drains university resources, and fuels tensions that often manifest as strikes.
“The over-centralisation of bureaucratic confusion and avoidable official interferences has muddled the administration of UI and other universities for so long that, if care is not taken, academic lawlessness might become the vogue,” Akande cautioned.
He recommended a thorough review of the establishment laws of federal universities in line with global best practices.
Professor Adebowale, who announced that the 2025 convocation ceremony was the last convocation he would preside over as his five-year tenure would end before the 2026 convocation, charged the graduating academic doctors to deploy their expertise toward solving society’s pressing challenges.
“Society awaits you to apply your skills to solve the multifaceted challenges it presently grapples with. This is a call to turn your knowledge into expertise and provide the solutions for which society yearns,” he said.
He announced that UI graduated 5,900 undergraduates, with 448 First Class honours.
At the postgraduate level, the university produced 22 Master of Philosophy graduates, 2,690 Master’s degree holders, 273 professional Master’s graduates, 124 Postgraduate Diploma recipients, and 73 Master’s graduates from PAULESI.
In addition, 487 candidates earned the Doctor of Philosophy degree, led by the Faculty of Education with 137 doctoral graduands, followed by the Faculty of Arts with 72.
The university also conferred honorary doctorate degrees on Prof. Philip Ozuah, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, and Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, in recognition of their distinguished contributions to society.
The combined messages from the nation’s leaders and university authorities painted a picture of both urgency and hope, calling for reforms, patience, and renewed commitment to excellence as the premier university marks its 77th year.
