Rt. Hon. Olufemi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has emphasised the need for Nigerian universities to boost their global visibility and attract international students.
He made these remarks on Tuesday at the inaugural annual lecture of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), titled “Interrogating Funding of Education: Global Versus Nigeria Perspectives.”
According to Gbajabiamila, Nigerian embassies abroad can play a key role in promoting the country’s educational system, just as other countries do through their diplomatic missions in Nigeria.
“Public universities in Nigeria can and should also look to increase their international profiles to become attractive destinations for international students willing and able to pay fees. Like the embassies of other nations in Nigeria, our embassies around the world can become very effective avenues for reaching out to a global market of students.”
Gbajabiamila stressed that for Nigerian universities to compete globally, there must be significant improvements across all areas.
These include curriculum reforms, better teaching methods, access to modern technology, improved hostel conditions, and the elimination of unethical practices such as cultism, plagiarism, and sexual harassment.
He called for stronger accountability measures, independent oversight, and a transparent system that prevents abuse before it happens, rather than reacting to it after the fact.
Gbajabiamila also urged the government and various stakeholders in the public university system to study successful education systems in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa—countries where many Nigerians now seek university education.
In his address, Governor Ademola Adeleke, commended the university’s senate for organizing the annual public lecture, describing it as a valuable initiative.
Adeleke thanked Gbajabiamila for honouring the university and Osun State, and appreciated his thoughts, which he said would guide governments at all levels.
