The Vice-Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, North Central Nigeria, Professor Lateef Folorunsho Oladimeji, has called on Nigerian professors to uphold the integrity of the academic profession by resisting attempts by politicians to use them to manipulate election outcomes.
Speaking during an interview with Newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State Capital, Oladimeji said academics appointed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must see electoral assignments as a national service that demands honesty, courage and unwavering commitment to justice.
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According to him, the electoral body deliberately engages professors and vice-chancellors because of the confidence Nigerians have in the academic community as a body of disciplined and incorruptible professionals.
“The umpire of the election in Nigeria must have studied the various groups in the country and concluded that academics are among those who should be regarded as incorruptible. That is why professors and vice-chancellors have continued to play important roles in election management,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor commended many academics who had discharged election responsibilities creditably over the years, saying they had helped strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
With another electoral cycle approaching, Oladimeji urged academics who may be called upon by INEC to remain impartial and resist every form of inducement capable of undermining the credibility of elections.
“My charge to professors is that whoever is invited should discharge that duty with the highest level of commitment. They should not compromise in any way. We must always do the right thing,” he said.
The university administrator, who recently marked his first year in office as the sixth Vice-Chancellor of the institution, said universities have a threefold mandate of teaching, research and community service, noting that participation in election management falls within the responsibility of serving society.
Reflecting on his first year in office, Oladimeji described his administration as “so far, so fair,” attributing the university’s progress to divine grace and the collective efforts of members of the institution. He noted that having served as a foundation staff member and occupied several strategic positions, including pioneer Head of the Department of Islamic Studies, Director of Academic Planning, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Registrar, gave him a clear understanding of the institution’s needs and aspirations.
He said his “Stress-Free Mantra” policy had begun yielding positive results, with the university recording its highest student enrolment in history.
According to him, Al-Hikmah admitted more than 2,000 students during the last admission exercise, while postgraduate enrolment rose to over 2,700 students. He also disclosed that the university’s sandwich programme attracted more than 1,000 fresh admissions, a development he attributed to deliberate efforts to expand access without compromising academic standards.
Oladimeji also highlighted academic achievements recorded under his administration, revealing that all 23 undergraduate programmes and five postgraduate programmes presented for accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC) secured full accreditation.
He described the feat as a significant milestone, noting that accreditation remains critical to maintaining quality assurance and public confidence in university education.
The Vice-Chancellor further disclosed that the university had secured approval from the NUC to commence Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programmes, enabling workers and other prospective students to pursue degree programmes remotely without leaving their jobs.
On institutional values, Oladimeji said Al-Hikmah University remains committed to producing graduates distinguished not only by academic excellence but also by sound moral character.
According to him, the institution has continued to receive commendation for producing graduates who are making meaningful contributions in different sectors across the world, while its Centre for Community Development regularly undertakes outreach programmes across Kwara State to improve public health awareness and community development.
On the Kwara State Government’s drive to position the state as an innovation hub, the Vice-Chancellor disclosed that Al-Hikmah University is actively collaborating with the government through strategic engagements and partnerships.
He said the university had held several meetings with relevant government officials and recently hosted a seminar attended by several commissioners as part of efforts to support the state’s innovation agenda.
“There is a collaborative effort ongoing. Our university has been holding meetings with the officers concerned at the Kwara State level. Recently, we hosted a seminar attended by several commissioners. It is in line with the state’s innovation hub initiative because we believe in synergy with organisations whose programmes align with our philosophy and vision,” he said.
Oladimeji added that entrepreneurship remains a major pillar of his administration through the AbdulRahim Oladimeji Centre for Vocational and Entrepreneurial Services, where every undergraduate, irrespective of discipline, receives practical entrepreneurial training.
He explained that the programme is designed to produce graduates who become employers of labour rather than job seekers, adding that students are assisted to register companies with the Corporate Affairs Commission before graduation and equipped with the structures needed to launch their businesses immediately after leaving the university.
