ABUAD FOUNDER AFE BABALOLA AND UNITED NIGERIA AIRLINES CHAIRMAN OBIORA OKONKWO CALL FOR OVERHAUL OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION SYSTEM

Prominent legal icon and aviation chief urge Federal Government and regulatory bodies to transition from paper qualifications toward functional, skills-based curricula designed to foster job creation and national renewal

The Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), alongside the Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, have called on the Federal Government and university regulators to urgently overhaul Nigeria's higher education sector.

Delivering a convocation lecture at ABUAD's Alfa Belgore Hall, Professor Okonkwo stated that the nation's tertiary institutions must pivot away from producing mere certificate holders to nurturing self-reliant job creators equipped with functional, practical skills.

Okonkwo argued that while governments, employers, and academic institutions routinely advocate for functional education, little attention has been given to aligning university curricula with real-world industry demands, technical problem-solving, and character development.

Echoing these views, Aare Afe Babalola pointed out critical loopholes in the current university curriculum and raised concerns over the indiscriminate licensing of private universities, warning that political influence must not compromise academic excellence and institutional standards.

Babalola announced that the strategic recommendations from the lecture will be formally submitted to the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to guide policy reforms, emphasizing that quality education remains the most effective tool to curb poverty and drive economic prosperity.