The monthly public affairs interview series, Boiling Point Arena, is set to interrogate the systemic failures that have eroded the global competitiveness of Nigerian universities and chart a roadmap for restoring their lost glory. The 38th edition of the widely followed programme will assemble two of Africa’s most respected scholars to dissect decades of underfunding, policy missteps and unchecked expansion that many critics say have turned the country’s ivory towers into mere certificate‑issuing factories.
Scheduled for Sunday, 14 December 2025, the session will hold virtually via Zoom at 8 p.m., with a concurrent live broadcast on a network of six radio stations cutting across Lagos, Ogun and Delta States, as well as on cable television. The programme is anchored by media professional and public relations strategist, Dr Ayo Arowojolu, whose Boiling Point platforms have become a rallying point for elite debate on governance, education and national development.
This edition is themed: “Quality Vs Quantity: How Nigerian Universities Lost Their Competitive Edge in Global Standard and the Path to Rebuilding Excellence.” It will spotlight how, over the span of Nigeria’s 64 years of independence, successive administrations and university managers have prioritised expansion in student numbers and new campuses without commensurate investment in infrastructure, faculty development, research funding and international partnerships, thereby weakening global rankings and employability outcomes.
Leading the conversation is Prof Olusola Oyewole, Secretary‑General of the Accra‑based Association of African Universities (AAU) and former Vice‑Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), who has emerged as a strong voice for quality assurance, research leadership and internationalisation across African higher education. Joining him is Emeritus Prof Olukayode Amund, a renowned petroleum and environmental microbiologist and retired professor of the University of Lagos, Akoka, whose career reflects the research potential that Nigeria’s university system has struggled to sustain at scale.
The duo is expected to interrogate such issues as chronic underfunding, outdated teaching facilities, weak industry linkages, brain drain, policy inconsistency and governance deficits that have collectively undermined standards in the university system. They will also examine how universities in other climes have leveraged robust research ecosystems, endowment culture, technology‑driven teaching and strong alumni and industry support to climb international league tables, and how Nigerian institutions can adapt similar models to their own context.
Crucially, the organisers emphasise that the dialogue will not dwell only on the tale of decline but will also outline pragmatic pathways to recovery. These include repositioning vice‑chancellors as fund‑raisers and chief development officers, strengthening quality assurance frameworks, incentivising research and innovation, deepening digital transformation, and forging strategic collaborations with global partners to improve rankings, staff capacity and graduate outcomes.
Foremost traditional ruler, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Prof Saka Matemilola, will serve as Keynote Speaker and Chair of the session, bringing to the table his dual experience as a first‑class academic and custodian of culture. His role underscores the recognition that reversing the decline in university standards requires the buy‑in of traditional institutions, industry, government and the academic community.
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The discourse will be aired live on WASH 94.9 FM, Sweet 107.1 FM, Roots 97.1 FM, Erimbe 94.7 FM, Women Radio 91.7 FM and Kruzz 92.9 FM, alongside NSTV on GOtv Channel 316, thereby giving millions of Nigerians access to the conversation in real time. Boiling Point Arena, supported by the broader Boiling Point Group, boasts a high‑calibre audience that includes more than 300 professors, leading media practitioners, technocrats, industry chiefs, High Court judges, traditional rulers and senior security officials who use the platform as a marketplace of ideas on national rebirth.
Organisers express hope that the outcomes of the December 14 engagement will feed into ongoing national debates on revitalising the tertiary education sector, from ongoing reforms at the National Universities Commission (NUC) to emerging initiatives on research funding and curriculum renewal. For stakeholders worried that Nigeria is falling further behind in the global knowledge economy, Boiling Point’s latest outing promises to be a crucial moment of reflection and a call to action.
