Opinion

Conversations On The Impacts Of Private Universities On Public Universities In Africa (3)

Published

3 years ago

January 13, 2022

NewTimes

Dele Jegede In Conversation With Prince Yemisi Shyllon

Toyin Falola

This conference was a gathering of progressivists. While planning for the conference, we invited a unique composition of participants because our aims were not as commonly seen elsewhere. We were quick to realise that for the conference to have the effects we expect and hope it would have, there needed to be an unconventional formation both in the composition of the participants and the order of proceedings. Thus, the Carnegie Conference did not only draw participants from diverse African countries, but we were also careful to draw participants from diverse walks of life to create inclusive participation of stakeholders in the university education sector. However, the conference was not a gathering of academics alone. University administrators, academic staff members of public and private universities, staff members and administrators of specialised universities, university staff unions, students, researchers, university founders and donors, the media, and policymakers were present. This gave room for robust and comprehensive discourses that shed light on some issues while discovering new ones.

Undoubtedly, there is a compelling need to reform our public universities by looking into proven strategies for managing challenges. One of the biggest problems militating against public universities in Africa is the inability to effectively use technology to their advantage. Many universities’ websites have a poor user interface, difficult navigation, and processes are not simplified or digitised. Of course, some schools have started to take baby steps in creating digital footprints for themselves; nonetheless, the university education sector in Africa is still way behind in the use of innovative technological interventions.

Innovation is often borne out of intellectual discomfort, out of a constant desire to know the situation and make it better. However, comfort is a killer of innovation, and it is sad to see that the management of many public universities in Africa is comfortable with the situation of things. Though they might not be necessarily comfortable with the financial standings of their institutions, when it comes to having a deep-seated discomfort as regards the situation of things as it concerns academic excellence, appropriate learning conditions, a commensurate staff-student ratio, among other things, one would find many public university administrators as complacent. What about inadequate power supply on university campuses when faculty of technology and science could embark on research to find a lasting solution to the problem? Why do universities cry about scarcity or lack of funding when they could draw up a sustainable self-funding model? Are there no services that the universities offer that could be of financial benefit to them?

There is an overbearing dependence on governments for funding public universities across Africa. Why should the universities overly depend on governments for funding? Why can they not seek out funding models for themselves? Many of these universities produce tens of thousands of graduates annually. But how well are they tapping into their alumni network? This comes down to how they treat their undergraduates. Do graduates feel any affinity towards their alma mater? How do universities convince their alumni network to actively participate in the growth and development of the university when students were made to go through hell on campus and were mostly impatient to graduate and leave the shackles of the university campus?

All over the world, progressive universities generate substantial funds from their alumni bodies. Beyond that, they also raise money from donations. How well do African universities position themselves as institutions worthy of donations and funding? Do they make the most out of the funding they receive? Are they accountable enough to their donors and benefactors? Sadly, the TETFUND disbursements given to some public universities to build learning and research facilities are not used for the intended purposes. Public university administrators have become a norm to rush TETFUND projects only when they need new funding.

The major problem militating against the university education sector in Africa is the mentality of the different categories of people in the system. This mentality is the same across different categories — from the administrators and managers to the staff members and the students. As a result of this dissociated mentality, the people do not truly see themselves as an integral part of the system with the potential of positively or negatively affecting the outcome of the system. This brings to the fore the reference made by one of the student participants about the different reactions of one of her lecturers in different scenarios. When the lecturer taught her in a public university, his reaction was harsh, and he was disintegrated from the needed synergy between students and their lecturers. However, when this same lecturer found himself in a private university, he changed his attitude towards work and his approach to students. In this situation, the system is to blame for being an enabler of the man’s actions, acting untowardly in a public institution and then comporting himself in a private institution.

In some way, this is related to the difference in the level of teaching presence in private and public universities. On average, there is more teaching presence in private institutions than in public ones. This can be tied to the attention paid by university managers and administrators to the classroom attendance and teaching presence of their universities. While the average private school has a two-way system that ensures that students and lecturers are available and attend lectures, only a few public universities have a classroom attendance rate system to ensure students attend classes. But what provisions are there for students to ensure that their lecturers are available for the classes? And beyond physical availability, how do public universities ensure that their staffers are fully invested in the teaching-learning process?

One valuable contribution is that we must give further thoughts on how we view our universities. Our perceptions of our universities will determine how we handle them and control the resources that come into and emanate from them. Are our universities value centres or profit centres? What contributions do we think the university system should make to our society? How do we view universities in Africa? Suppose our thoughts and perceptions about universities are principally business-related and profit-focused. In that case, there will always be skirmishes as to how the university’s resources will be shared, with each party seeking to have the largest cut of the cake. This presently seems to be the case with the university education system in Africa. There are egotistical tendencies as to the allocation and management of resources. But when we view our universities as value centres, the focus will shift from self-profiting to value proposition.

Staff unionism is another integral part of the university education system in Africa, and this is an interesting aspect for many reasons. The most popular staff union among universities in Nigeria, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has made giant strides in its achievements. Nonetheless, the fact remains that strike actions have become a clichéd signature of the union, which has become notoriously known for prolonged strike actions that sometimes yield positive or negative results. There are chances that the ASUU leadership needs to consider, especially as it concerns the art of negotiating. And though there is still room for improvement in the operations of ASUU, the fact remains that staff unionism is not an untoward move in universities.

However, private universities are missing from the staff unionism equation. Why then are private universities strictly against staff unions? Are there no grievances being nursed by staffers at private universities too? Private universities, being owned by individuals or private bodies and are very conscious of their public image, most likely loathe the idea of staff unionism as it is known in the Nigerian clime. With staff unionism comes strike actions, and one of the biggest selling points of private universities is in the absence of strike actions. Thus, there hangs a web of fear over private university owners. The orientation in many private universities also makes their employees believe there is no need for staff unionism. But the presence of good working conditions at the present moment does not negate the need for staff unionism and should not stop willing staff members from forming a union. Staff unionism is a means of ensuring fairness across all universities. While three private universities may be treating their staff members right, twenty other private universities may be doing poorly.

To kickstart the processes for effective and positive changes in the administration and functioning of public universities in Africa, there is the need to review and update the policies that put these universities in existence in the first place. We must also redefine our goals as distinct African societies on the need for universities and the roles we want them to play in our societal ecosystem. Only when we have done this would we objectively review the system and strive to make it work. The regulatory bodies put in place by governments need to reinforce their regulations and double up in their vetting and visitation endeavours.

Additionally, there is a need for reorientation and a paradigm shift in the way universities are run. Our universities in Africa are not at the same level as their counterparts abroad — their present seems to be our future. Thus, when we plan and prepare for the African universities of the future, we are only planning to measure up with the present status of the other universities that will not stop growing or evolving all over the world. There is a need for a shift that would align with global best practices and what obtains in other parts of the world. University regulatory bodies need to understand the dynamics of modern-day learners and position the system in a learner-focused way. This is because less-formal learning institutions are aggressively competing with universities, and the future of work is so designed that skills are increasingly becoming more relevant than certificates.

Students’ voices were also heard at the Carnegie Conference. And if not anything, the students’ contributions showed that the learners know what is obtainable in the system and the malaise bedecking the system. We must turn towards a learner-guide approach rather than a master-slave style in our teaching-learning process, especially in public universities. There is also a need for collaborative moves between students and their lecturers to benefit both groups. Flexibility in the education system and in selecting courses is also important. Students should be allowed to truly taste the university as a universe of knowledge in its real sense. More so, universities need to be pragmatic in their approach to focus on the acquisition of knowledge and the application of knowledge.

The first convening of the Carnegie Conference on Higher Education in Africa was a success. The communiqué has been released, and researchers and all participants have returned to their bases to develop their papers and reshape them according to the robust discourses had at the conference. As we prepare for the second convening, the two-day conference has rejuvenated hopes, especially mine, in the possibility of effecting a change in the university education system in Africa.

Falola is a Nigerian historian and professor of African Studies. He is currently the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin.

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Opinion

Stellenbosch: Senzeni Na And Decolonizing Secularity In Africa

Published

1 day ago

March 11, 2025

NewTimes

Witch Burning, Impunity And Abuses Linked to Witchcraft Beliefs In Benue State

Dr Leo Igwe

By Leo Igwe

In December, I attended a workshop on Decolonizing Secularity in Africa. It was one of my best conferences because it highlighted issues that have worried me over the years. For the first time, I attended an academic conference on religion or secularism in Africa that featured a panel on atheism and humanism in Africa. Organized by Point Sud, this workshop was held at Stellenbosch in South Africa. Interestingly I did not know about Stellenbosch’s colonial history and significance. So I could say with the benefit of hindsight that the choice of Stellenbosch as a venue for this event was adequate. The goal of the workshop was, based on the coloniality of secularity, to interrogate the “liberating force of religion, the secular in ethnic nationalisms, and the ideologies of culturalization, not least in its current revenant, heritagization, in Africa and beyond”. It was great to meet, discuss, and exchange ideas on colonization, decolonization, religion, and secularity with scholars and activists from different parts of the continent and the world. Many issues that emerged at the conference have continued to agitate my mind. First is the so much emphasis on colonization. I have continued to wonder: Can’t we meaningfully discuss African issues without alluding to colonialism? Again, reference is always made to Western colonialism. What about Eastern and other forms? Many parts of America were colonized at one point or the other. Weren’t they? The same with Europe, Asia, and Oceania. But it is only in the case of Africa that there is an overemphasis on Western colonialism. Incidentally, many African scholars have unwittingly joined in explaining Africa through the lens of colonialism, western colonialism.

The fixation on colonialism is not without a reason. I attended an African studies conference some years ago and someone alluded to a comment by a Western scholar, that regarding Africa, before colonialism, there was nothing. There was nothing? I was shocked to hear that comment. Look, that I do not know or nobody knows about a period in history, does not mean that there was nothing. Is it not better to say I do not know than to make such a dimwitted statement? What applies to Africa, applies to other places in the world. There are stages in their histories nobody knows what happened. Or what is known is patchy. That should not be a reason to say that there was nothing.

One issue that engaged attendees was the meaning of ‘decolonizing’. What does it mean to decolonize? Some define decolonization as removing or undoing colonial elements and influences. And if that is the case, what do we remove or undo? And who does that and Why? how do we undo the Western colonial linguistic influence? What about the eastern and other colonial elements? Is it possible or feasible to remove or undo all colonial influences? By the way, is religion or secularity as introduced to Africa decolonized?

Some participants argued that decolonizing secularity implied going back in time before colonialism. So, how far can we go and why? In the process won’t we go back to that time “when there was nothing?” Can’t we decolonize without returning to the past? Can’t we decolonize looking forward and not backward? Is religion or secularity not an embodiment of layers of influences over the years? If we were to peel off these ‘colonial’ elements, what would be left? Some propose a return to the indigenous forms of secularity or religion as the case may be. The question is this: What does indigenous mean? Who defines or determines it? Is the indigenous the same for all? What is considered indigenous to South Africans may not be to Kenyans, Nigerians, or Malians. What is considered indigenous in a part of Nigeria may be a legacy of the colonial influence by another part of Nigeria. So what is indigenous to Africa is not monolithic and regionally applicable.

That leads me to another controversial issue that came up at the workshop, which is, one secularity or multiple secularities. Some of the participants especially those from the Department of Religion, at the University of Cape Town were of the view that there was one secularity, that is the western secularity is manifesting in other climes, in different forms. While other participants from Europe leaned towards the notion of multiple secularities highlighting forms of distinction and differentiation between religion and other social domains across cultures. Although secularism or secularity is Western in origin, what the concept represents manifests in other cultures and societies. Secularities predate Western secularity or manifest and feature in ways that do not fit into or align with Western secularity.

As I noted earlier, there have been colonialisms before Western colonialism. There have been secularities before Western secularity. Although Western colonialism brought the influence of western religion and secularity to bear on various cultures and societies, the colonial encounter does not negate the social differentiation of religion and other domains in these societies. It is only in seeing or articulating secularity in its multiple forms that these situations, dynamics, and intersections could adequately be captured. So, the concept of multiple secularities has enormous explanatory power. It is useful and helpful in highlighting the social distinction of religion and other domains in cultures and societies beyond the West.

For instance, western missionaries introduced christianity and the Christian god to Africa. What we have is one Christianity or Islam manifesting in different forms. Africans have adapted and reinvented the Christian religion over the years, hence the notion of African Christianities. Again while western Christian missionaries introduced Christian religion or religiosity, they did not introduce religion. religiosity, or the idea of god. There are other religiosities apart from and beyond Christianities/Christian religiosities. There are other gods and deities beyond the Christian god/deity. I think the idea of multiple secularities or multiple religiosities has much more descriptive value.

Another issue that came up at the event, not surprisingly so, was apartheid. One of the presenters analyzed the song, Senzeni Na (What have we done?) to buttress his point. I have never heard of the song. I didn’t know its relevance to the anti-apartheid struggle. In the course of the discussions, it was noted how other Africans including Nigerians are not conscious or sensitive to the pains of apartheid. I noticed from the expressions of some South Africans at the meeting that they were not happy with the nonchalant attitudes of Nigerians towards their experience. I believe that black South Africans are right to feel that way. The apartheid was a tragic experience that still hurts blacks in contemporary South Africa. The painful memories won’t quickly go away. Black South Africans should also understand that Nigerians have a different history and experience. They should also not forget that the Nigerian and other African governments contributed a lot to the anti-apartheid struggle. Nigeria supported Nelson Mandela and other heroes and heroines of the struggle.

Many South Africans do not relate to the tragedy of the Rwandan genocide as Rwandans do. They do not relate to the pain and trauma of the Nigerian civil war. In meetings and conferences, they treat these experiences and encounters lightly because these experiences were not a part of their history. As I noted during my conversations with some of the attendees, while I appreciate the pain and trauma of apartheid, Black South Africans must learn to move on because as they say in the Igbo language, Nke chi ka, meaning, the one yet to come, the future one, the one that belongs to tomorrow, is greater. The greatness of South Africa does not lie in the past but in its tomorrow, in its future. It does not mean that we should not refer or draw from the past. We should and we must. But South Africa is not returning to those days when Senzeni Na was sung. The country is forging ahead and moving towards a better and more glorious future.

This song provides a thrust for this forward and onward movement. It highlights the challenges that South Africans face and are facing. But more importantly, this song codifies the pain and suffering of all humans because all oppressed people everywhere; all who suffer persecution within and without South Africa are singing, Senzeni Na.

Igwe, PhD, was a co-convener of Decolonizing Secularity in Africa, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 9–13 December 2024.

Opinion

Commonwealth Day 2025: Together We Can End Witch Hunts And Ritual Attacks

Published

1 day ago

March 11, 2025

NewTimes

Dr Leo Igwe

By Leo Igwe

As we mark Commonwealth Day 2025, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches protests witch hunts and ritual attacks in Commonwealth countries, and the refusal of the Commonwealth to speak out against these abuses. In many parts of Africa, Asia and Oceania witch hunting is not a thing of the past but an ongoing wave of abuses and violations. In Commonwealth countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, persecution of alleged witches rages with force and ferocity. In Ghana, witch persecution results in the displacement of accused persons who then flee to some make shift shelters known as “witch camps”. Those who could not flee to these places like Akua Denteh are murdered in cold blood.

Witchcraft accusation is a form of death sentence for the accused and accused people are sometimes extrajudicially killed despite existing legislations in these countries. Witch trials take place in many countries of the Commonwealth. Trial by ordeal and jungle justice are meted out to the accused. Some weeks ago, an elderly woman who had dementia was accused of witchcraft and beaten to death in Nigeria. In Malawi, alleged witches are stoned to death. In Zambia some political opponents suspected of trying to kill the president using ‘witchcraft’ are standing trial at the state court. Alleged witches, mainly women, children and people with disabilities are attacked, banished, lynched, buried alive or tortured to confess to the ‘crime of witchcraft’.

Witch hunting persists because many countries and groups of countries like the Commonwealth have refused to speak out against these atrocities. The Commonwealth should break its silence on witch hunts and ritual attacks in member countries. It should join the UN in condemning these horrific abuses. The Commonwealth should add its voice to this campaign. It should highlight witch persecution and witch hunting during its meetings and summits. It should call for an end to abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs and ritual attacks. The Commonwealth Day should be an opportunity to recommit to ending this menace. It provides a platform to rally all countries against these violations. No nation should be left behind in the quest to make witch hunting history around the globe.

Together we can end witch hunts and ritual attacks in Commonwealth countries.

Igwe, PhD, directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches.

Opinion

Lead City @20: The Past And The Present

Published

1 day ago

March 11, 2025

NewTimes

Prof. Toyin Falola

By Toyin Falola

Our university is now an adult at 20!

About twenty-two years ago, the vision to redefine the frontiers of private education in Nigeria led to the conceptualization of the idea, which birthed a new direction for education. The thoughts and projections of like-minded educators and academic experts led to the establishment of Lead City University (LCU) as a beacon for progressive education in Nigeria. This development came when access to higher education was limited by rigid institutional structures and to federal, state, and a handful of private institutions.

At inception, LCU was envisioned as an academic environment that was expected to balance flexibility with skills and academic excellence. On this note, the university became fully operational in 2005, having scaled through necessary procedures for establishment. Since then, the university has positioned itself as an institution willing to break conventional norms by offering programs that blend theoretical learning with practical application. The goal was clear—to bridge the gap between academia and the real-world demands of the job market, ensuring that students graduated with certificates, competence, and confidence. Hence the word “enterprise graduate”.

Two decades later, Lead City University has become a household name in private tertiary education in Nigeria and earned the trust of parents, guardians, students, and the education community. From its humble beginnings with two campuses around Jericho and Challenge areas of Ibadan, the University has metamorphosed to its current state, reflecting the institution’s journey of ambition, resilience, and a commitment to continuous improvement. To reiterate, the university’s distinct blue, white, and pink colors symbolize the institution’s values for knowledge, human development, creativity and prestige, and excellence. At the same time, the university’s emblem, which depicts a fusion of knowledge, self-reliance, and technological orientation, is not just a design but a representation of LCU’s enduring promise to its students in equipping them with the tools they need to navigate life’s complexities.

In its formative years, Lead City University set itself apart by adopting an academic model that was both innovative and inclusive. Unlike conventional universities that adhered to a one-size-fits-all approach, LCU introduced learning structures that accommodated working professionals, non-traditional students, and young scholars eager for a more practical learning experience. This unique flexibility over time has attracted a diverse student population, making the university a melting pot of ideas and aspirations.

Significantly, and with every sense of humility, it is worth mentioning that the academic offerings at LCU have grown in milestones over the years. What started as a modest selection of undergraduate programs across the two campuses has expanded into a comprehensive curriculum spanning disciplines such as Business Administration, Law, Engineering, Social Sciences, Computer Science, and Mass Communication. More recently, the university reached a significant milestone with the approval and accreditation of its Medical and Health Science programs, including Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy, and Physiotherapy.

These additions have broadened the school’s academic reach and cemented its credibility as a serious player in Nigeria’s higher education landscape. This has brought much credence to the school, its parent body, and every stakeholder within its system. This is because achieving accreditation for these highly sought-after courses required a high-level strategic investment in infrastructure, faculty recruitment, and curriculum development. The intensity of these has further proven LCU’s unwavering commitment to quality education.

Beyond the classroom, LCU has been at the forefront of promoting an education system that extends beyond academic achievements. It is an apparent recognition that learning should not be confined to lectures and textbooks. To achieve this, the university has integrated entrepreneurship programs, skill acquisition initiatives, and industrial partnerships into its curriculum as a proactive measure for students to withstand today’s competitive job market, where traditional employment opportunities are increasingly fizzling out. It is a welcome development for a 21st-century school, as graduates need more than theoretical knowledge. They need adaptability, innovation, and more practical experience to fit in. It gladdens the heart to know that LCU understands this reality and has taken deliberate steps to ensure its students are equipped with these critical skills.

A defining aspect of the university’s impact over the past two decades has been its emphasis on accessibility. The tradition before was that private universities in Nigeria were often perceived as elitist due to their tuition costs and the social class that enrolled. At one point, there were similar issues with enrollment, as many were not convinced that it was a school their wards could attend.

To mitigate this, LCU has consistently worked to change the narratives by providing scholarships and financial aid to deserving indigent students. These scholarships, awarded based on merit and financial need, remind the institution of its commitment to inclusivity. These opportunities have been life-changing for many students who might have otherwise been unable to afford higher education. By ensuring that education remains within reach for those who need it most, LCU has once again demonstrated its commitment to shaping futures.

Looking at the trajectory and quality of academic delivery obtained in the school, one cannot salute the decision to have a well-grounded faculty. Faculty development has been another cornerstone of LCU’s success. After all, an institution is only as strong as the quality of its educators. Hence, there is a deliberate commitment to recruiting experienced lecturers, researchers, and industry professionals for its academic team. Over the years, the university has built a faculty that blends theoretical expertise with real-world experience. This approach ensures that students are not just taught from textbooks but are mentored by individuals who have made significant contributions in their respective fields. By fostering an environment of mentorship and academic research, the university has maintained high teaching standards, preparing students for professional and educational pursuits.

The physical transformation of Lead City University over the past twenty years is also worth noting. The university, which began with a modest campus, has since expanded into a thriving academic hub, complete with modern lecture halls, state-of-the-art laboratories, well-equipped libraries, and recreational facilities embedded in an architectural design that reflects a blend of tradition and modernity, creating an environment that is both inspiring and conducive to learning. These infrastructural developments are a testament to the university’s long-term vision to make learning conducive in a friendly atmosphere.

However, LCU’s journey has not been without challenges. Like all private institutions, it has had to navigate the complexities of Nigeria’s educational sector, including regulatory policies, economic fluctuations, and the evolving expectations of students and parents. For instance, the unpredictability of the country’s economy has often made financial planning difficult for the institution and its students. Yet, through strategic planning and resilience, LCU has continued to evolve, adapting to changes while maintaining its core mission.

The role of technology in education has also become increasingly significant in recent years, and LCU has recognized the need to integrate digital learning into its academic framework. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted educational systems globally and became a wake-up call for institutions to adopt more technologically driven learning methods. LCU strengthened its digital learning infrastructure, enabling students to continue their education remotely. The university’s investment in e-learning platforms, virtual labs, and online course delivery models reflects its readiness to embrace the future of education.

At one point, the university displayed mastery of digital tools to drive enrollment. This was in the wake of low enrollments, especially as very few citizens of Oyo State see the school as a prospect. During this period, the university had a large number of its students coming from outside the state. In response, the dedicated marketing teams deployed various traditional and digital tools, effectively utilizing social media, newsletters, and email marketing to achieve outstanding results. This is but a display of innovative thinking by a core department in the school.

As Lead City University celebrates its 20th anniversary, it is at a critical juncture that demands an even more significant commitment to innovation, research, and global academic engagement. The next phase of its journey will undoubtedly require a stronger emphasis on technological integration, expanded research initiatives, and deeper collaborations with local and international institutions. The university has already laid a strong foundation, but the challenge is to build upon it, ensuring that the next twenty years bring even more outstanding achievements.

Lead City at 20 is not just a celebration of longevity but a testament to the power of vision, perseverance, and growth; from a promising idea to a respected institution, LCU’s story is one of transformation and impact.

Looking ahead, the university must continue to evolve, keeping pace with global academic trends while staying true to its mission. Whether through the expansion of its research capabilities, increased industry collaborations, or the continued development of its students, LCU’s future is filled with possibilities. The past twenty years have been remarkable, but the next two decades hold even more significant potential.

For students, alums, faculty, and stakeholders, Lead City University is more than just an institution—it is a community, a movement, and a legacy in the making. As the university steps into the future, it does so with the same ambition and resolve that fueled its inception. The journey is far from over; in many ways, it is only just beginning.

. Falola is Professor Emeritus in the Humanities Lead City University.