Varsities’ Registrars unite to boost global ranking
By Sani Idris-Abdulrahman
The Association of Registrars of Nigerian Universities (ARNU) has lamented the inability of the Nigerian Universities to be among the best in the world in terms of global ranking.
The association expressed this through its Chairman, Dr Bala Ahmed, who spoke at the 3rd Registrars Workshop and 77th Business Meeting held at the Kaduna State University (KASU).
The theme of the workshop was ‘University Ranking in the Face of Global Competitiveness: The Way Forward for Nigerian Universities’.
Ahmed lamented some of the daunting challenges the Nigerian University system was facing.
According to him, some of the challenges facing Nigerian universities include emerging technological trends that impact their global competitiveness in teaching, research, and innovation.
He also identified other factors that may negatively be impacting on global rankings.
Ahmed listed them to include chronic underfunding and dilapidated infrastructure, continued exodus of top academic talent, low research output and weak visibility in international academic publications.
He also identified insufficient international collaborations and institutional partnerships and disruptions in academic calendars as some of the problems.
According to him, this is due to recurring industrial actions, declining quality of student intake, as evidenced by the recent performance in JAMB examinations, among other factors.
Ahmed explained that Nigerian University Registrars convened to address ranking challenges, mitigate shortcomings, and elevate Nigerian Universities globally.
They also recognised their critical role in shaping academic policies and driving institutional excellence.
“As registrars, the custodians of university governance, records, and administrative frameworks
“We must ask ourselves how we can be more intentional, strategic, and reform-oriented in steering our institutions toward greater relevance,” he said.
Ahmed also emphasised Artificial Intelligence (AI) as another evolving area of teaching and research in technologically driven countries.
He explained that contemporarily, universities and research centres around the world had incorporated the use of AI for problem solving, acknowledge acquisition,
research and innovation.
This, he said, was another vital area that the workshop intended to examine
and raise awareness among Nigerian Universities for its application and adaptation.
He said that resource persons at the workshop would attempt to examine, review and even critique the indices and parameters used by world ranking bodies.
This is in order to formulate alternative approaches and recommend paradigm shift for Nigerian Universities to be more visible and uncompetitive among universities within the global space.
The host registrar, Samira Balarabe, the Registrar of KASU, said the association unites administrators to learn best practices and ensure consistency nationwide.
She, however, urged government support for infrastructure and resources to keep pace with evolving education trends.
The Vice-Chancellor of KASU, Prof. Abdullahi Musa, said the institution aimed to achieve excellence by identifying its unique identity and collaborating with stakeholders including parents, industry experts, academia, and registrars.
Musa added that KASU prioritised innovation, sensitivity to community needs, with a strategic framework guiding their progress.
He said the university had achieved notably in Nigeria for being the first to offer programmes in Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Supply Chain, Islamic Economics and Finance, among others.
“For us, excellence is a core concept, extending beyond competition to impactful change, with the university’s programmes designed to address local and global challenges including poverty eradication, security, and well-being,” Musa said.
Also, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, emphasised that Registrars were the backbone of university governance.
He said they directly impact on the quality of human resources and the effective functioning of higher education institutions.
Ribadu, represented by Adewale Bakare, Deputy Director, Corporate Services, said the workshop would provide a valuable platform for enhanced knowledge sharing, professional development and collaborations.
He urged them to develop lasting strategies to strengthen universities administrative
frameworks in line with global best practices.
Ribadu assured them of the NUC’s commitment to supporting capacity-building initiatives that would promote efficient resource utilisation and enhance effective leadership in Nigeria universities.
He, therefore, urged them to actively engage in the discussions, share ideas and explore innovative solutions that would elevate the standards of Nigerian universities. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Modupe Adeloye/Bashir Rabe Mani
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