Adedimeji: How Nigerian Higher Institutions Can Attract Best Minds to Classrooms
Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji is the pioneer vice-chancellor of the African School of Economics, Abuja, with a vision to reposition education for the socio-economic development of Africans. In this interview with Funmi Ogundare, he explained why Nigeria must cultivate leaders who radiate integrity, discipline, excellence, accountability and a high sense of service, as well as attract the best minds to the classroom through highly competitive remuneration for staff, provision of infrastructure, capacity building and depoliticising education for optimal performance. Excerpts:
You have an extensive background in Pragmatics and Applied Linguistics. What sparked your interest in these fields, and how has this shaped your academic journey?
Since the publication of J. L. Austin’s ‘How to Do Things with Words’, in 1962 and even before then, many philosophers of language and language specialists have renewed their interest in the study of language from the viewpoints of its users and contexts, which is called pragmatics. I am also interested in this area because when we understand the way of words and the strategies of using them to achieve our purposes in a world that is becoming increasingly wild, we will be able to achieve three critical issues that engender social progress: peace, security and development. The same applies to applied linguistics, which concerns the application of the insights and findings from language studies to solving real-life problems wherever they arise. My interest in language actually stems from the fact that it is arguably the only human-specific natural endowment we have. While other creatures have means of communication, they do not have the capacity for language use as they lack what Noam Chomsky calls Language Acquisition Device (LAD). When you talk of enterprise, strength, beauty, speed, creativity, elegance, even ‘intellect’ and ‘wisdom’ (for which we are told to learn wisdom from the ants), you realise that humans still learn from animals. Language appears as the only quality that sets our species apart; that makes us human. We are not just homo sapiens (human beings); we are also homo loquens (talking beings). This interest has shaped my academic journey and defined my deployment of applied linguistic insights to addressing issues that border on language itself as well as development, peace, education, religion and society at large.
You are the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of Ahman Pategi University and are now steering the ship of the African School of Economics in Abuja. What core values are you bringing on board?
I am bringing on board crucial IDEAS, which I am now entrenching as core values of the university. The IDEAS are rooted in Integrity, Discipline, Excellence, Accountability and Service. If these core values are institutionalised as ideal, I am convinced that we will be on a firm foundation of repositioning Nigeria and producing transformational leaders that will power Africa’s development. If you look at the African landscape, what stares you in the face is leadership deficit. But rather than focus on these core values or IDEAS that I mentioned, many people are still fixated on the usual window theory of lamenting ‘How Europe Under-developed Africa’, as Walter Rodney wrote long ago, instead of adopting the mirror theory that requires working on ourselves and realising that we are the problems and we are capable of solving them. So, to make the changes we want, we have to cultivate leaders who radiate integrity, discipline, excellence (in learning, teaching, research, innovation and community development), accountability and with a high sense of service and industry.
With what you have been able to achieve in your former university, what strategies are you implementing to establish a strong foundation for the new university’s academic (vis-à-vis shaping the curriculum to meet local and global standards) and administrative functions?
I think achievements are relative as not everything that counts can be counted, but we thank God we did all the best we could do under the prevailing conditions, and the university is thriving. For the African School of Economics (ASE), I had developed a strategy comprising 10 P’s with which we would build a strong foundation. The strategies are elaborate, but I can tell you they are all-encompassing, from planning and publicity to personnel, power and technology to partnerships and programmes to be deployed to attract and retain the best students and faculty. All these are at work now that admissions are in progress, and we’ll be activating the remaining Ps very soon.
With the partnerships, the university currently enjoys with other ASE campuses in Africa and global universities like Princeton University, where the founder is based, New York University, Barcelona Graduate School of Economics, Universidad del Desarrollo, Université Laval, University of Ottawa, Aalto University and others, the university is poised to provide the best of transnational education to its students. Fortunately, the current CCMAS (Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards), which we started to implement last October, is robust, and it allows the development of a good percentage of the curriculum to align with the objectives of the individual university and its context. Given that ASE is conceived to be a global university located in Nigeria, the curriculum design and implementation are geared towards producing global leaders, not local champions.
What role does the university play in addressing broader societal issues such as unemployment, healthcare or social justice?
Our vision is transformational and it is about repositioning education for the socio-economic development of Africans. The founder, Leonard Wantchekon, is a renowned professor of economics, and as you know, Economics permeates everything. I know this as I was an outstanding student of Economics at a point in my education. So, the economic and entrepreneurial value of each programme will be integrated into the training of students so that they graduate with a sense of direction as problem solvers and job creators, not town criers and job seekers. The university is strong in economics, entrepreneurship and culture, and these will percolate all aspects of student training. Through the Public Health and Medical Laboratory Science programmes and others to start soon in the second year, the university plans to contribute to healthcare delivery. Also, by being committed to the highest ideals of university administration and introduction of other programmes in the Faculties of Agriculture, Medical Sciences and Law, the university will make significant impacts on diverse aspects of the society.
You’ve been recognised internationally, including being awarded the title of ‘Most Notable and Top Distinguished Educator of the 21st Century’, what do these accolades mean to you, and how have they influenced your work ethics so far?
Accolades and recognitions are like perfume that are smelt but not swallowed. I don’t count them as anything, even if they may be inspirational in a moment to make one work more. My work ethics, as I once noted, is impelled by the philosophy of seizing the day, which is called Carpe diem in Latin, as tomorrow is not certain and the coffee only gets cold later. So, whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well and in the time since each passing day does not return. My conviction is that by doing more, one can achieve more. My work ethics revolves around sincerity, sacrifice, tenacity and discipline.
What role will research and development play in African School of Economics, and do you plan to attract top researchers?
Research is the crux of the university; it is the heart of the university mandate. The African School of Economics is a research university. In fact, it is known internationally for the quality of its research and the founder, Prof. Leonard Wantchekon, is one of the best economists in the world. Many products of ASE in other African countries are distinguished researchers and accomplished scholars in Ivy League universities and global institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Research and development are at the core of what ASE does. I have won research grants and awards both nationally and internationally, including those of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA). That’s what will make us competitive. In the ongoing recruitment, a major criterion is research experience. We appreciate that the distance between the university and its goals will be shorter when high-quality researchers are brought on board at inception and that is what we are doing exactly.
How are you working to build partnership with other similar universities, both locally and internationally?
You know partnership is one of the Ps I highlighted earlier, and we are doing it with all the seriousness it requires. We already have active collaborations with many institutions like Princeton University, New York University, Barcelona Graduate School of Economics, Universidad del Desarrollo, Université Laval, University of Ottawa, Aalto University and others. In Nigeria, we are completing the process of formalizing our partnership with KU8+, the Consortium of Universities in Kwara State, under the leadership of Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin. We are building bridges across the Nigerian university ecosystem with a view to fostering South-South partnership while we still maintain and expand our North-South connections.
What initiatives are in place to recruit and retain high-quality faculty members at your new university?
When we advertised available academic positions some time ago, we received over 4,000 applications from all over the world. This gave us a large pool to select the best, and the process is still ongoing and coordinated in Nigeria and the United States. By offering competitive remuneration and establishing conditions of service that are in sync with global standards, we are intentional in recruiting and retaining high-impact faculty members.
As a Fulbright Scholar and cultural ambassador, you’ve had the opportunity to engage with international academia. How has this experience broadened your perspective on education and leadership?
Yes, I have had the opportunity teaching and training in the United States and I have engaged with colleagues on visits to Europe, Asia, Australia and of course Africa. I have also had the privilege of working closely with and mentored by outstanding thought leaders and Vice Chancellors. I have a clear perspective of the dynamics of education and leadership in Nigeria. You know I served the Presidential Retreat Committee on Education between 2017 and 2018 and that actually broadened my experience especially with the calibre of people I worked with.
The Nigerian education system faces significant challenges. In your view, what are the key reforms needed to improve higher education in Nigeria?
The challenges facing our education are multi-dimensional as they border on poor infrastructure, lack of qualified and competent teachers due to poor remuneration, governance and leadership, attitudes and misplacement of priorities. Most students now read to pass, not to learn, and society does not help matters with educators being treated with disdain, unlike what obtains in other countries. We need to change, and the reform starts by attracting the best minds to the classroom through highly competitive remuneration, stabilizing the system by providing infrastructure and facilities, capacity building, and depoliticizing education for optimal performance.
You achieved the rank of professor at a relatively young age. What advice would you give young academics striving for academic excellence?
I actually put in 19 years of teaching, research, and service in the university system before I became a professor. It shouldn’t have been that long if not for the erstwhile “no vacancy” syndrome, but it was still fine. My advice for young academics is to keep their eyes on the ball, set out at dawn, unlock their full potential and avoid distractions as much as possible. The moment one aspires to dress or drive like politicians and business people as a young lecturer, one starts to miss the mark. Young academics should have dream, they should have drive, they should, most importantly, have discipline that is powered by dedication and determination to reach their destination. They should live right for their world to be right and try to be the best versions of themselves.
