The Vice-Chancellor of Caleb University, Imota, Prof. Olalekan Asikhia, has urged the Federal and State governments to substantially increase funding for research in Nigerian universities, stressing that the nation stands to benefit immensely from impactful and solution-driven academic research.
Professor Asikhia also called for the development of a coherent national research policy that would be integrated into university curricula and properly coordinated through the National Universities Commission (NUC), with effective monitoring mechanisms to ensure compliance and measurable impact.
The Vice-Chancellor made the call while addressing journalists, as part of activities for the university’s forthcoming 15th Convocation Ceremony.
According to him, a total of 2,000 students will be graduating during the convocation, comprising 1,625 undergraduate students and 375 doctoral graduates
Highlighting the activities for the
convocation programme, Professor Asikhia disclosed that the three-day event will commence on Monday, February 16, with a prayer forum, followed by the doctoral hooding ceremony for PhD graduates.
He explained that the hooding ceremony would feature presentations of research findings, recognition of supervisors, and a hooding lecture, while the main convocation ceremony would take place on Wednesday.
He said, “for Nigeria to truly benefit from research and innovation, funding must be taken seriously. We must move beyond merely reciting mission statements and demonstrate real commitment by investing significantly in research".
He added: “Secondly, there must be a coherent national research policy. This policy should be integrated into university curricula and distilled through the National Universities Commission, with proper monitoring mechanisms to ensure compliance and real impact.”
The Vice-Chancellor further advocated a competitive research framework, where grants and prizes are awarded to institutions and research teams that develop practical solutions to national challenges.
“Research activities should be competitive. Grants and prizes should be awarded to teams and institutions that develop the best solutions to national problems. Universities can then be ranked based on the research solutions they contribute to national development. This approach will motivate institutions to focus on solving real societal challenges,” he stated.
Asikhia revealed that Caleb University is adopting a new, industry-driven approach to research by involving industry stakeholders from the outset to ensure that research outcomes are practical, relevant and innovation-focused.
“Industry partners bring their real-world challenges, and these challenges are assigned to researchers and students to develop practical solutions. This approach bridges the long-standing gap between academia and industry,” he said.
“By involving industry from the beginning, research outcomes become more relevant, applicable and impactful.”
He noted that across disciplines — including sciences, mass communication and other fields — the university is embracing innovative teaching methods, hands-on practical experiences and interdisciplinary research to improve outcomes.
“As Vice-Chancellors, we come together under the Committee of Vice-Chancellors to brainstorm, assess the national situation and explore how we, as academics, can contribute to solving the nation’s problems,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor also highlighted local and international research collaborations, including partnerships with institutions such as the University of Cambridge, noting that such collaborations have helped to enhance the quality and impact of research in Nigerian universities.
“A lot is happening in research across Nigerian universities, and we are confident that, with time, tangible results will emerge to address many of the challenges facing our society,” he added.
On student funding, Professor Asikhia appealed to the Federal Government to extend the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to students in private universities, dismissing the perception that only children from wealthy homes attend private institutions.
“There is a general impression that students in private universities are from privileged backgrounds, but this assumption is not entirely correct,” he said.
“One of the major reasons for the emergence of private universities was the unstable academic calendar in public universities. Parents wanted a stable system that would allow their children to graduate on time and plan their futures.”
He explained that many students in private universities face financial difficulties due to unforeseen circumstances.
“Some students lose their parents to accidents or other unfortunate events while already in their second or third year. In such cases, we do not send them away. We take responsibility,” he said.
“We support indigent students, students in critical courses and those whose education will ultimately benefit society.”
According to him, if the Federal Government is willing to support private universities, a transparent assessment can be conducted to determine the number of students each institution is supporting financially.
“Such verification will show clearly that private universities are also carrying a significant burden in supporting less-privileged students,” he added.
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