Education
LASUSTECH: Getting it right from the start
LASUSTECH: Getting it right from the start By Steven Anu’ Adesemoye
The world over, academic excellence is typically an offshoot of endogenous and enduring culture that has immunity against compromise, but mutation to classic global best practices. This has always been the benchmark that many universities are struggling to catch up with, while many others have considered this rare feat as a sprint and not a marathon.
The outcome of personal research has shown that, designing an evolving and adaptable academic culture requires critical thinking that is capable of espousing need-oriented courses and robust curricula, 360-degree touchpoint digital automation, technology-driven teaching and learning, versatile and creative administration, qualitative manpower, dynamic policy formulation, collaboration and networking, strict internal and external regulations, adequate and purposive funding, branding and Public Relations for Marketing (PRM) and ultimately the mindset of excellence by all stakeholders.
Now that the transmutation of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) to Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) has been consummated, the next phase of the process should be to take the advantage of starting afresh into laying the foundation of a specialized university that would become the pride of Lagos and Africa at large. It is possible and in our time too.
Considering the peculiarity of the university, starting with the existing programmes of the former polytechnic to keep people’s jobs won’t be a bad idea. Looking at the bigger picture, this university will need to do a Skill Gap Assessment – what are the industry’s first line needs? Skillsets versus current and emerging ‘need sets’. The Knowledge Gap Deficiencies (KGD) must give way to a systemic approach in the Productive Science and Technology (PS&T) model that is not only unique but 100% result-oriented.
There must also be an environmental scanning of the immediate community to determine the relevant courses and programmes that are community needed. These two needs assessments would help the university to define and develop its core competencies from the beginning. The fourth industrial revolution (industry 4.0) as the current and developing environment for disruptive technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI), among others, must be considered. For the community and Lagos as a whole, the university should consider programmes like Ferry Fabrication and Services Technology (Marine Technology); AgriTech and Post-Harvest Processing Technology; Digital Transformation Technology; Integrated Waste Management and Recycling Technology; Alternative/ Renewable Energy Production Technology; Oil and Gas Supports Technology. This is the era of nanotechnology, we can do it.
Automating the whole system, including the management of the new university is key. From admission to graduation, the process must be seamless. One digital solution should connect payments, registration, result processing, administration, information dissemination, library services, etc. No loopholes must be allowed. In this new university, there should not be missing scripts or results. Result, certificate, and transcripts should be ready in less than 72 hours upon request, yes, it is possible. 24/7 internet facilities and handshake with big tech firms would go a long way to position the institution.
Teaching and learning must have a technology interface. This is not a conventional university of marker and board, 70 percent of the learning process must be demonstrated if we must do anything differently. Up to the Ph.D. level (it is the new direction), attention must be given to hands-on practical demonstrations. Only modern and digital laboratories, studios, workshops, and classrooms can deliver the desired results as seen in a well-educated cultured society.
The drivers of LASUSTECH must be able to think like there is no box anywhere. Creativity and ingenuity should guide the administration of the new university. There must be an enduring line of ideation and curation. The principal officers must be fired for excellent development in all forms. In the same vein, if the government is really genuine in setting a standard for this university, the members of the Governing Council must be a mix of blue-chip captains, boardroom technocrats, industry experts, technophiles, philanthropists, and education enthusiasts. This very council should not be made a retirement plan for tired hands. And the university must not be made a dumping ground for the unqualified job-seeking family, friends, and associates. Relying on school fees to undergo a substantial development is no more in vogue, therefore, the business arm of the university must wake up to its responsibility to drive development, while maintenance culture must be entrenched in the core value of the institution.
Skilling, reskilling, upskilling, research, and development are very essential in defining qualitative manpower for the university. Emotional Intelligence (EI) and the excellent mindset of a goal-getter are equally of great importance. Knowledge of what to teach and the skill to teach right would be more appreciated if the lecturers put students at the centre of teaching. Other staff must have a total reorientation to understand that students are customers and kings in their right. To achieve excellence, there must be a systemic adoption of excellent culture across the board.
In making policy, the drivers of the new university may have to borrow some quality templates from the best universities. Policies like the Graduate on Time (GOT) system that guides against lecturer frustrating a student with extra year(s) or unserious student overstaying the period of graduation would be a welcome development. Students accessing lecturers performance and completing progress reports per semester before they (students) can access results is going to improve standards. Digitally monitored compulsory 75 percent attendance and regular use of customized mail/digital wallet would encourage seriousness and dedication. Policies should be made flexible and people-oriented. The Directorate of Students’ Affairs (DSA) should have a policy document that takes care of the students’ welfare, sporting activities, complaints, and graduation.
This is the era of collaboration, co-creation, and networking. LASUSTECH needs to stretch the hands of fellowship to partner universities (home & abroad) for students and staff exchange programmes. The university must also be ready to have a strong tie with the industry, foreign embassies, politicians, government at all levels to attract research grants, chairs, endowments, bursary, and donations.
Aside the statutory National University Commission (NUC) accreditation exercise, the internal and external assessment should be carried out regularly and diligently. The Annual Performance Evaluation (APER) must be holistic and watertight. As part of the culture that must be established from now, only journal articles on Scopus Journal Metrics or indexed journals should be allowed. Inventions, Innovations, creations, and ideations should also be considered for promotion. The OSAE visit should go beyond inspection; it should include government accreditation with well-crafted Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
There should be the immediate design of a brand strategy that must take care of the rebranding, repositioning, and internal /external communication architecture- brand manual. The ergonomics design of the campus must be fascinating. We are in the woke era, issues should not be allowed to snowball into a crisis. Response time to students’ distress must be swift and effective. Internal communication is as important as external communication, therefore, there must be a structured conflict resolution mechanism, community and government relations.
Lastly, the government must be ready to fund every aspect of the university or give it complete autonomy. It will be easier to partner with firms like Google, Microsoft, among others, to enhance the smooth operation of the university. Apart from the overhead cost, recurrent expenditure, and cost of accreditation, Lagos State Education Trust Fund should aggressively look into infrastructural development, capacity building, research and development, software acquisitions for all Lagos state-owned universities, such as Turnitin, Nvivo, IBM SPSS, ATLAS.ti, RStudio, Orange, Base SAS, OriginPro, TIMI Suite, etc.
As the summary of my piece, I wish to leave stakeholders of the new university with the Times Higher Education for university rankings which, calibrated 13 performance indicators into five areas: Teaching (the learning environment); Research (volume, income, and reputation); Citations (research influence); International outlook (staff, students and research); and Industry income (knowledge transfer).
Steven Anu’ Adesemoye is a researcher in the Department Of Media and Communications, University of Malaysia.
Education
UBEC, NGF in Conjunction with NEWGLOBE Spotlight Kwara as Model for Tackling Out-of-School Crisis
UBEC, NGF in Conjunction with NEWGLOBE Spotlight Kwara as Model for Tackling Out-of-School Crisis
-By Olufemi A. Adetola
As Nigeria grapples with the challenge of out-of-school children—estimated to be among the highest globally—recent interventions led by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) offer renewed hope. At the center of this momentum is Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, whose leadership as NGF Chairman is setting a new national tone on foundational education.
Penultimate week, the NGF in collaboration with UBEC and NEWGLOBE convened a multi-stakeholders dialogue in Abuja focusing on foundational learning and strategies to combat the out-of-school children crisis. Commissioners of Education and Chairpersons of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) were present to discuss reforms and implementation pathways. The gathering reaffirmed the need for stronger state-level ownership and collaborative policymaking.
Kwara State represented by the Hon Commissioner of Education, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe and the Executive Chairman of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, Prof Shehu Raheem Adaramaja presents a model of what focused leadership and fiscal discipline can achieve in basic education. According to their presentation, upon assumption of office as the Executive Governor of Kwara State , Mallam AbdulRahaman Abdulrazaq CON moved swiftly to pay backlogs of UBEC counterpart funding, allowing the state to access over ₦14.2 billion in federal matching grants for the years 2014-2019 . This intervention reversed Kwara’s prior blacklisting from UBEC funding and unlocked a cascade of basic education infrastructure projects across the state.
Through the Prof. Shehu Adaramaja-led Kwara SUBEB, over 600 schools have been renovated or newly constructed across the 16 local government areas. Classrooms have been furnished with pupils and teachers furniture, perimeter fences erected, boreholes sunk, Digital literacy centres established in 38 centres and WASH facilities provided across the 193 political wards of the state, with clear attention to equity and rural inclusion. These upgrades are impacting both teaching and learning environments in meaningful ways.
In addition to infrastructure, Kwara has tackled the human resource challenge head-on. Between 2021 and 2025, the state recruited over 6,400 new teaching and non-teaching staff, with an emphasis on STEM subjects. The recent recruitment exercise adopted community-based recruitment approach, where qualified NCE and Bachelor degrees in education from various communities were recruited to teach in their localities. All recruited staff signed performance bonds, demonstrating a commitment to accountability and diligence performance at duty.
Another bright spot is the KwaraLEARN programme—an ambitious education technology initiative that has digitized classroom management in over 1,770 public schools. With real-time monitoring, teacher coaching, and structured lesson plans, over 620,000 pupils now benefit from a more consistent and effective learning experience.
Mallam AbdulRahaman Abdulrazaq gave priority attention to teachers motivation and encouragements. He largely demonstrated this in prompt payment of salaries, promotion of teaching and non teaching staff of the State Basic Education Board, enhance capacity building with significant attention to technology education, modern pedagogical trainings, classrooms management techniques, foundational literacy and numeracy skills and other impactful workshops. Early results show gains in literacy and numeracy scores, attendance, and classroom engagement.
Kwara has also gone beyond the school walls. Earlier this year, a targeted enrollment drive brought over 2,300 out-of-school children into classrooms. These efforts were especially focused on nomadic communities, Qur’anic school pupils, street children, and underserved areas often missed in national data. Plans are also underway to build 75 new schools in remote areas to further reduce access barriers.
Perhaps the most telling endorsement of Kwara’s progress came in May 2025 when UBEC’s North-Central Director, Elder Abalaka described the state as “a pacesetter in compliance.” This reflects not just infrastructural output but the state’s commitment to due process, transparency, and strategic alignment with federal education goals.
Governor Abdulrazaq’s leadership at the NGF is crucial to replicating this progress nationwide. His advocacy for coordinated policies, timely funding, and inclusive education models is influencing how states approach their UBE responsibilities. The recent dialogue in Abuja underscored the need for such synergy.
As Nigeria intensifies efforts to implement a new national strategy on foundational learning, it is clear that the states must lead from the front. Kwara State’s success story shows that with the right blend of policy, leadership, and stakeholder engagement, progress is not just possible—it is sustainable.
The crisis of out-of-school children and weak foundational education has persisted for too long. But if more states follow the Kwara example under Governor Abdulrazaq’s NGF-backed leadership, the foundation of Nigeria’s future can be salvaged and secured.
In this regard, what is happening in Kwara should not just be applauded—it should be emulated. The real task now is to replicate such bold governance across every corner of the country.
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