By Promise Eze 

Hakeem Fawehinmi, vice chancellor of University of Abuja

Hakeem Fawehinmi assumed office as vice-chancellor of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) on February 10. Before his appointment, he served as vice-chancellor of the Nigerian British University.

Leading one of Nigeria’s foremost public universities comes with significant challenges. In an exclusive interview with TheCable’s PROMISE EZE, Fawehinmi speaks about how he is addressing the institution’s pressing issues, his views on the growing use of artificial intelligence in higher education, and the controversy surrounding allegations that the university diverted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) disbursements meant for students.

TheCable: It has been about six months since you assumed office as UniAbuja vice-chancellor. Looking back on your time in office so far, what has surprised you most about leading the university, and what vision are you hoping to achieve during your tenure?

Fawehinmi: What has surprised me most is the abundance of talent within the university community — among both our academic and non-teaching staff, as well as our students. There is enormous potential here, and if these talents are fully harnessed, the university should have progressed much further than it has. That came as a surprise to me. However, I am confident that we will get there.

Our vision is to develop the University of Abuja — now Yakubu Gowon University — into a world-class 21st-century institution where staff and students are given equal opportunities to maximise their potential. We aim to achieve this through standardised teaching, streamlined admissions, quality service delivery and strengthened research, all in the spirit of global competitiveness.

TheCable: The university recently launched what has been described as Nigeria’s first AI-powered academic research ecosystem. While many see this as a major innovation, others worry that AI could encourage plagiarism or weaken students’ critical thinking skills. How do you intend to maximise AI’s benefits while preventing its misuse?

Fawehinmi: We are focused on the positive aspects of artificial intelligence. AI is here to stay, and we cannot ignore it. People will continue to use tools like ChatGPT and other AI platforms to solve various problems.

However, there are aspects of learning and human judgement that AI cannot replace, regardless of the discipline. AI can serve as a valuable research assistant. For example, one of our researchers developed an innovation that supports thesis writing and bibliography preparation for academic research.

Our goal is to maximise these benefits while minimising the risks. Every academic submission from our institution is subjected to plagiarism checks and other quality assurance measures. This ensures that there is no room for plagiarism in our system and that the research outputs, monographs and other scholarly works produced by the university meet the required standards. Our plagiarism detection systems are designed to identify inappropriate use of AI-generated content.

TheCable: Are you not concerned that students may become overly dependent on AI for assignments, thereby affecting their ability to think independently?

Hakeem Fawehinmi, Abuja VC, with TheCable’s Promise Eze

Fawehinmi: We make it very clear to our students that they are not expected to rely on AI for their academic work. During examinations, they do not have access to electronic devices or AI tools. What we assess is the knowledge they have genuinely acquired, and that is what our examinations are designed to measure.

If students use AI as a tool to gather information or support their learning outside the examination hall, that is their choice. What matters to us is that they acquire the knowledge, competence and skills required to justify the certificates we award.

TheCable: I believe you are familiar with the TETFund’s Terra platform, which connects tertiary institutions with educational resources and services, making it easier for students and researchers to collaborate. Have students at the university been onboarded onto the platform?

Fawehinmi: We still need to intensify awareness about the platform. Although the university is aware of Terra and some members of our staff and students have already begun using it, we have not yet deployed it to its full potential.

We intend to work closely with TETFund to sensitise the university community and encourage wider adoption so that students and researchers can fully benefit from everything the platform offers.

TheCable: Some students have expressed concerns about inadequate hostel accommodation, insecurity around the campus and water shortages. How is the university addressing these challenges?

Students battling accommodation and water shortages in one of the hostels at the campus

Fawehinmi: We are taking deliberate steps to address the accommodation challenge. It is true that there is an acute shortage of hostel spaces. We have close to 40,000 students, but we are unable to accommodate up to 10,000 of them on campus.

Fortunately, TETFund has been very supportive as an intervention agency. Through its annual intervention and special high-impact intervention programme, TETFund has commenced the construction of two new student hostels. These projects will significantly increase our accommodation capacity and provide housing for many students who currently live off campus.

On security, we have put several measures in place. We are also working with TETFund on a project to strengthen the security of our perimeter fence through modern surveillance systems. Beyond that, we maintain close collaboration with the police, paramilitary organisations and military formations within and around the university community.

Although we have not experienced any major security incidents such as kidnapping for ransom, we have recorded a few cases of burglary and occasional breaches of our perimeter fence by illegal settlers. We have responded proactively to these incidents. 

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We have also drawn the attention of Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who is the chief security officer of the FCT, to the university’s security needs. As the only conventional federal university in the FCT, with a student population of nearly 40,000, we require additional government support.

In addition to external security support, we have strengthened our internal security architecture. Our security personnel patrol the campus around the clock, and these efforts have yielded positive results. While isolated incidents still occur, we remain vigilant and continuously improve our security measures.

TheCable: Students have also raised concerns about transportation, particularly the availability of buses between the university’s campuses. How are you addressing this?

Students walking within the campus

Fawehinmi: We have a fleet of buses that shuttle between the mini-campus in Gwagwalada and the main campus. One of the services is provided free of charge as part of our staff welfare prgramme, while students pay only a modest fare for the others.

These shuttle services operate regularly, and where necessary, they complement the existing public transport system. We have put most of our buses back on the road, and they now cover the major routes used by students to travel between the campuses and their faculties.

Since I assumed office, we have not received any significant complaints about transportation. The buses and vehicles we introduced have substantially improved mobility for both staff and students.

TheCable: Earlier this year, the university came under scrutiny over allegations relating to NELFUND disbursements. Both the university and NELFUND denied the claims. How did you navigate that controversy, and what did it reveal about your approach to leadership and crisis management?

Some graduating students of the institution

Fawehinmi: The allegations were completely false. It was fake news, and it was unfortunate that such an unverified report was published. There was absolutely no truth to it, which is why NELFUND itself publicly debunked the claims, alongside the university council. Everyone was surprised by the source of the story.

We responded professionally by immediately issuing clarifications and presenting the facts. We also took steps to trace the origin of the false report and are still pursuing the matter with the media organisation responsible for publishing it.

The university does not withhold students’ funds. Whenever NELFUND disbursements are received, we ensure they are processed and paid to beneficiaries without delay. I have consistently insisted that students should receive their funds as quickly as possible.

When students experienced delays due to incomplete banking details, we invited them to provide the necessary information so payments could be made promptly. In some cases, where students faced imminent examinations, the university paid their fees upfront after confirming that they were NELFUND beneficiaries, with the understanding that the funds would be recovered once NELFUND released the disbursement.

We did everything within our power to ensure that eligible students received their benefits as quickly as possible. The allegations were baseless, and I believe we handled the situation responsibly and professionally.

TheCable: The university was recently renamed Yakubu Gowon University. Is the change now official?

Fawehinmi: Yes, the University of Abuja has been renamed Yakubu Gowon University, and the decision is official. However, we are still awaiting the formal gazetting of the Act by the appropriate arm of government. Until that process is completed, the new name cannot be used for legal or formal transactions because it could be challenged without the statutory backing of a gazetted Act of parliament.

For now, we refer to the institution as the University of Abuja, now Yakubu Gowon University, in recognition of the change and in honour of Yakubu Gowon, our national hero. Once the Act is gazetted, all our official and legal correspondence will bear the name Yakubu Gowon University.

TheCable: How has the university benefited from TETFund interventions, and in what areas do you believe greater investment is still needed?

Fawehinmi: I must commend the management and staff of TETFund for the remarkable work they are doing. During my first six months as the university’s eighth vice-chancellor, the institution has benefited immensely from TETFund’s interventions under the leadership of Sonny Echono, executive secretary of TETFund. 

We have received annual interventions, special high-impact interventions and zonal interventions, all of which have significantly improved the university. One of the strengths of TETFund’s approach is that its interventions are tailored to the specific needs of beneficiary institutions.

The university has benefited in areas such as entrepreneurship development, library and ICT infrastructure, and career counselling services. These investments have strengthened our capacity to deliver quality teaching, learning and research.

However, I believe TETFund should pay closer attention to the performance of some of its contractors. While the interventions themselves are commendable, some contractors fail to adhere to agreed timelines and project specifications. This affects the timely delivery of projects and, ultimately, the impact of the interventions. Greater oversight of contractors would further enhance TETFund’s excellent work.

TheCable: Looking ahead, what would you like this university to be known for, both nationally and internationally?

Fawehinmi: I want the university to be known as a university of excellence and a true university of the federation.

By excellence, I mean outstanding teaching, impactful research and the production of graduates who are globally competitive and equipped for the labour market. By a university of the federation, I mean an institution that truly reflects Nigeria’s diversity, where people from every state, ethnic group and religion come together in an atmosphere of unity and mutual respect.

That is the kind of institution we are committed to building.

TheCable: Finally, when your tenure comes to an end, what legacy would you like to leave behind?

Fawehinmi: I want to leave behind a university where every young person who passes through its corridors is equipped to succeed and contribute meaningfully to society. I want this institution to become a hub for innovation and groundbreaking research that addresses national and global challenges.

I also hope to leave a university where service delivery is fully digitised, ICT is integrated into administration, teaching and research, and where we undertake cutting-edge research that earns us recognition among the leading universities in the region and across the world.

Source: TheCable