Nigerian Universities and World Ranking

Nigerian Universities and World Ranking

Abdullah Umar

THE latest worldwide universities' ranking shows that Nigerian universities have dropped out of reckoning because of the poor quality and scope of research conducted by indigenous academics. No Nigerian university featured on the world best 500 universities list. Indeed from the African continent, only the University of Cape Town, South Africa made the list. More embarrassing was the fact that even among the contending universities in Africa, the best Nigerian university was ranked number 44, trailing behind some universities in Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana. Last year, five Nigerian universities - the University of Ibadan (UI), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Benin (UNIBEN), University of Lagos (UNILAG), and University of Jos (UNIJOS) - were among the first 100 universities in Africa. This time, only four Nigerian universities were among the best hundred. Their ascribed positions were embarrassing. While OAU came in a distant 44th position, UI, Nigeria's premier was number 65, and Uniben number 79. Unilag made an embarrassing 90th position. All the other universities did not feature at all. This should be bad news to the Nigerian government and educationists. It should also be bad news to Nigerian academics who, under the aegis of ASUU, are currently on strike over working conditions. The verdict of the ranking system speaks for itself. If Nigerian universities cannot feature among the best 500 in the world and are ranked from Position 44 downwards in Africa, then there is something fundamentally deficient in the system. What is the quality of research that goes on in the universities? Are there research opportunities and facilities in the universities? If there are, are these research findings published in reputable journals across the world? Does this not re-echo the call of our nation's eggheads that the universities need resuscitation through a massive injection of funds? Numerous problems beset Nigerian universities. Inadequate funding, lack of commitment, poor or unavailable infrastructure, epileptic power supply, and paucity of funds to attend international conferences are some of the challenges which the average academic has to contend with. In the universities that are well ranked, funds are routinely available for scholars to attend conferences where their findings and contributions to knowledge are presented and discussed. Also, because of the sound quality of research their essays are accepted and published in international reputable journals. The Nigerian academic is not so lucky. He is entitled to attend international conferences about once in two years. If he must attend other conferences, he is required to look for funding from other sources.

Reputable journals which were published in the Universities of Ibadan, Lagos, Nsukka and Ife in the past have all disappeared due to poor funding.

For example, the University of Ibadan used to be a reference point for international scholars of African history and culture. Those were the halcyon days of Professors Kenneth Dike, Festus Ade Ajayi, and Tekena Tamuno, etc. Indeed, Nigerian universities hosted academics and students from all regions of the world. These days, only refugees come to Nigerian universities to study. While other universities are expanding their library facilities, some federal universities have closed down departmental libraries. Ironically, most of our libraries are stocked with old volumes, with cramped up spaces for the teeming population of students. Yale University has over one hundred libraries. Harvard makes about $25bn from endowments alone. With these funds, scholars have no problems whatsoever embarking on research and publishing their findings. The Nigerian government ought to take education more seriously. Education is a social service rendered by government to the people.

Recognizing the strategic role of education in national development, UNESCO prescribed that about 26 per cent of a nation's budget should be reserved for education. No Nigerian government ever considered this advice useful.

The nation is by no means short of qualified academics. Across the world there are many Nigerians, products of the brain drain, who hold sensitive positions in universities and research institutes abroad. There is something anti-intellectual about the politics and allocation of resources in our environment, especially under past military governments. Sadly, the civilian administrations have not fared any better. The frequent disruptions in academic calendars must come to an end. ASUU ought to have a re-think and develop alternative strategies of engaging government. The production, importation and promotion of educational materials should be encouraged. The publishing industry should also be encouraged to publish books for the universities. The cost of importing materials for the book industry is still prohibitive. Universities need to be proactive in the areas of management and resource mobilization. Some Vice Chancellors are so parochial that they simply see the position as a reward for many years of service. They then fail to rise to the challenges of the office. Some Governing Councils also fall into the same trap. Endowment funds and donations from wealthy patrons apart from government subvention are other sources of income for universities. For example, it should be possible for corporate organisations to provide seed money, invested in bonds, securities and real property in form of endowments on behalf of the universities. This was part of the intention behind the Education Tax Fund. Sadly, this has become another bureaucratic waste pipe. The world ranking of Nigerian universities ought to be a wake up call to all stakeholders, including the State and Federal Ministries of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the universities.