Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, Chancellor of Ekiti State University and Founder of the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation, has announced a series of interventions to strengthen research, digital learning and postgraduate education at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.
Olowolafe announced while delivering an address at the grand finale of the Postgraduate College Week, held as part of activities marking the university’s 65th anniversary, where he called for a more inclusive, technology-driven and practical approach to research in Nigerian universities.
Under the foundation’s commitments, a dedicated solar power system will be installed to serve the Postgraduate College’s administrative offices, ICT centres and examination facilities. The foundation will also provide a fully equipped virtual learning and oral defence facility and digitise and modernise the College Boardroom.
In addition, the foundation will provide funding, on a case-by-case basis, for preliminary research work needed to position projects for major international grants. It will also sponsor specialised training in grant writing, donor compliance and institutional advancement to improve the College’s capacity to attract research funding.
Speaking on the theme, “Promoting Research Excellence and Innovation in Postgraduate Studies: Charting the Future,” Olowolafe argued that research must move beyond academic publications to become a practical instrument for solving societal problems, improving public policy and driving economic development.
He identified three priorities for transforming postgraduate education: expanding access to research, subjecting long-held beliefs to scientific scrutiny, and ensuring that research findings translate into tangible benefits for society.
According to him, Nigerian universities must reconsider rigid pathways into research by creating opportunities for people with demonstrable expertise and recognised prior learning to contribute to academic investigations, without compromising established standards.
Using the example of a rice farmer in Goronyo, Sokoto State, who possesses decades of practical experience, Olowolafe questioned why such expertise should not be harnessed through partnerships with universities under appropriate academic supervision.
He also called for stronger integration of science, technology, innovation and artificial intelligence into early education, arguing that the researchers of the future must be identified and nurtured from childhood.
On digital transformation, Olowolafe said technology offered Nigerian universities an opportunity to expand access to education beyond the limitations of physical infrastructure.
Citing figures presented in his address, he noted that about two million candidates sat the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in 2025, while approximately one million secured admission, leaving a substantial number of young Nigerians without university places.
He urged OAU to accelerate the digitisation of postgraduate records, expand virtual learning and publicise its flexible study options to reach more prospective students within and outside Nigeria.
Olowolafe further advocated stronger collaboration between universities and industry, recommending that academic promotion criteria give greater recognition to patents, commercialised products and solutions to industrial problems, alongside scholarly publications.
He maintained that universities must ensure that research findings are translated into innovations that address real-world challenges, rather than remain confined to laboratories and academic journals.
The OAU alumnus also called for the scientific examination of indigenous knowledge in areas such as herbal medicine, agriculture, building techniques and food preservation. He cited the work of Chinese scientist Tu Youyou, whose research into traditional medical texts contributed to the discovery of artemisinin, an important malaria treatment, as an example of how traditional knowledge can inform scientific breakthroughs.
On the role of alumni and private sector support, Olowolafe urged OAU graduates to increase their financial contributions, mentorship and institutional support for university research at least tenfold.
He highlighted the university’s research achievements, including a five-million-dollar Gates Foundation grant secured by Professor Ibraheem Awowole to support efforts to reduce maternal mortality in Nigeria, as well as more than 70 patents that he said had been secured by campus researchers through the university’s Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office.
He also commended the university’s leadership under Vice-Chancellor Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, particularly its reported efforts to develop an institutional policy on artificial intelligence and strengthen research capacity.
Olowolafe’s address was anchored in his conviction that education remains a powerful instrument of social mobility. He recounted his educational journey, including his unsuccessful attempt to gain admission to OAU in 1977 before proceeding to the University of Ilorin, where he eventually studied medicine.
He also cited the Gbemisola Olowolafe Memorial Community Secondary School in Are-Ekiti, which opened in September 2025 with 100 students and had grown to more than 170, alongside an ICT centre offering training in artificial intelligence, coding, graphic design and Mandarin.
The initiative, he said, demonstrated the possibilities of extending quality education and digital skills to communities beyond major urban centres.
As OAU marks 65 years of academic service, Olowolafe challenged the institution and other Nigerian universities to strengthen research, embrace technological innovation and deepen partnerships that connect academic discoveries with national development.
He congratulated the university’s Governing Council, management, staff and students on the anniversary, expressing confidence that stronger investment in research infrastructure, skills and collaboration would help position the Postgraduate College for greater impact.
The commitments by the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation, he said, were intended to support the College’s transition towards a more digitally enabled, flexible and globally connected postgraduate education system.
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