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Funmi Ogundare

The newly appointed Pro-Chancellor of Miva Open University, Dr Tunji Olowolafe, has called for a fundamental rethink of the delivery of higher education in Nigeria, insisting that quality education must be accessible to all, irrespective of geographical, economic or social barriers.

Speaking at the university’s maiden convocation ceremony, held recently in Lagos, Olowolafe described open and distance learning as a transformative model capable of expanding access to higher education while maintaining rigorous academic standards.

According to him, the future of education lies in creating systems that adapt to learners’ realities, rather than compelling students to fit into outdated educational structures.

“Democratising education does not mean lowering standards. It means refusing to allow the conditions of learning to become a barrier to the quality of learning. It means designing systems that meet students where they are, not systems that demand students rearrange their entire lives to fit a model built for a different era,” he stated.

Olowolafe recalled the vision of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whose free education policy and educational broadcasting initiatives broadened learning opportunities beyond the conventional classroom.

He said that Miva Open University represents the modern expression of that philosophy by leveraging technology to bridge educational gaps.

“Where the student cannot travel to the classroom, the classroom must learn to travel to the student,” he said.

The pro-chancellor challenged the perception that open and distance learning is inferior to conventional university education, arguing that such misconceptions have contributed to the underinvestment in a system capable of significantly expanding access to higher education across Africa.

He stressed that graduates of the institution underwent rigorous academic training and should be proud of their achievements.

“The graduates before me today did not receive a diluted education. They were held to rigorous standards. They were assessed, challenged and stretched. They paid for their own data, sat their own examinations and asked no one for permission to be ambitious,” he stated.

Olowolafe identified sustaining quality amid increasing enrolment as one of the greatest challenges confronting higher education institutions globally, noting that maintaining academic integrity while expanding access distinguishes serious institutions from merely ambitious ones.

He commended the institution for preserving academic excellence while pursuing growth, saying that it had resisted the temptation to compromise standards for expansion.

On the state of education in Nigeria, he acknowledged recent policy interventions and investments by the federal government and expressed optimism that sustained reforms would improve educational outcomes nationwide.

Olowolafe urged the graduating students to embrace lifelong learning and become worthy ambassadors of the university.

“The credential certifies that you can learn. The real test is whether you keep doing it, deliberately, aggressively, without waiting for an institution to organise it for you,” he stated.

He also urged them to contribute meaningfully to national development, arguing that Nigeria’s greatest challenge is not a lack of resources but a shortage of disciplined and purposeful leadership.

“What Nigeria lacks most is not resources. It is organised well. It is people with training, with values, and with the determination to point at something bigger than personal comfort,” he said.