Only 38 female VCs have headed Nigerian varsities since 1960 – Committee of Vice-Chancellors

Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, the Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVNU), shared a stark statistic. He disclosed that out of over 720 individuals who have held the position of Vice-Chancellor in the Nigerian University System since 1960, only 38 have been women. 

Prof. Ochefu made this announcement during an event in Abuja to unveil the 60th-anniversary committee of the CVNU. The CVNU is an assembly of Vice-Chancellors from Federal, State, and Private Universities in Nigeria and is preparing to celebrate 61 years of its existence. The organization has played a crucial role in shaping the policies and initiatives of the Nigerian education system, although it has largely operated quietly in the background.

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The Secretary-General emphasized that many of the initiatives and policies that have shaped the current education system in Nigeria can be traced back to the meetings and inputs of the CVNU. These initiatives include the harmonization of the academic calendar, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), improvements in the welfare of university staff, measures to combat predatory journals, and the establishment of minimum academic benchmarks and core curricula for universities.

However, Prof. Ochefu also pointed out that inadequate research funding in Nigeria is a major reason why Nigerian intellectuals have not been recognized with Nobel Prizes. Winning a Nobel Prize requires sustained and rigorous research in an academic discipline, typically spanning several years. For Nigerian academics to achieve such recognition, there must be a significant investment in research funding and infrastructure.

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The CVNU, since its inception in 1962, has consistently pursued core values aimed at improving the Nigerian university system. These values include enhancing access to education, increasing funding for research and innovation, harmonizing the academic calendar, protecting intellectual property, promoting good journal practices, developing plagiarism detection software, and refining university curricula. The organization also seeks to enhance the stability of the university system in Nigeria through international collaborations, peer reviews, case studies, and the exchange of ideas with universities worldwide