Baze University: Research, innovation key to global competitiveness, says Adeniyi

Mariam Abeeb

Baze University, Abuja, says it is building a globally competitive academic institution by strengthening research and innovation, and attracting scholars from across the world.

Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, disclosed this on Monday during a visit by Education Correspondents to his office in Abuja.

Adeniyi said the institution is also equipping students with multidisciplinary skills for the changing labour market.

He stressed that research and innovation remained central to the university’s vision of redefining tertiary education in Nigeria.

Adeniyi said the institution was deliberately building a research-driven academic culture through strategic partnerships, collaborations and the recruitment of scholars with strong research backgrounds.

According to him, universities must continually generate new knowledge and perspectives if they are to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world, particularly amid the ongoing technological revolution.

“Research is the hallmark of development because the essence of research is to provide insights, new perspectives and new dimensions away from the things that we have been doing,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor said Baze University was also preparing to introduce a system of external academic examiners from outside Nigeria to periodically review the work of its faculties and offer recommendations for improving academic standards in line with global best practices.

He explained that the initiative would complement the regulatory oversight provided by the National Universities Commission, NUC, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, and the Federal Ministry of Education.

Beyond academic excellence, Adeniyi said the university was repositioning its curriculum to ensure that graduates possess skills that would enable them to navigate a labour market that is increasingly multidisciplinary.

He said the university had introduced entrepreneurial and other skills-based programmes across disciplines, noting that graduates could no longer rely solely on the certificates they obtained in their chosen fields.

“The world has become so transdisciplinary that when people are multi-skilled, they are at a better advantage than the one whose skill is solo,” he said.

Adeniyi said the institution’s partnership under the World Bank-supported IDEAS programme was another demonstration of its commitment to practical skills development, adding that the initiative had helped train young Nigerians in skills capable of supporting self-reliance and entrepreneurship.

He said the university was determined to produce graduates who would not merely seek employment but would also possess the capacity to create opportunities, drive innovation and contribute meaningfully to economic development.

According to him, the performance of Baze University alumni in different sectors demonstrates the impact of the institution’s multidisciplinary approach, with graduates emerging as entrepreneurs, business leaders and professionals in various fields.

The Vice-Chancellor also disclosed that Baze University was expanding its international outlook, with students drawn from Nigeria and other African countries, particularly the West African subregion.

He said the university was developing collaborations with institutions and stakeholders in countries including Sierra Leone and Kenya, adding that such partnerships would further expose students and academics to international opportunities and practices.

Adeniyi said the university’s long-term objective was to build an institution that could compete with leading universities globally, stressing that such a vision required patience, deliberate planning and sustained investment.

He noted that some of the world’s renowned universities had developed over centuries, adding that Baze was pursuing its own growth through careful planning and consistent implementation of its vision.

He said the university would continue to invest in its academic environment, research capacity, international partnerships and human capital while remaining compliant with regulatory requirements.