Experts have urged Nigerian universities to strengthen ties with their host communities to drive local economic growth. Despite having access to vast lands and natural resources, many universities underutilize these assets, contributing to youth unemployment and missed development opportunities in their surrounding areas.
This call was made during a TETFUND-organized conference in Abuja, where over 100 professors gathered to discuss the growing disconnect between universities and their local communities. The event highlighted the need for universities to collaborate with their communities through Local Economic Development (LED) initiatives.
TETFUND’s Executive Secretary, represented by the Director of Research and Development, Dr. Salutu Bakari, opened the conference by expressing concern over the economic losses resulting from the underutilization of university resources.
Lead facilitators, Professors May Nwoye of Nile University and Olusiji Aina, emphasized the importance of integrating entrepreneurial thinking into university curricula and enhancing community outreach to stimulate economic growth.
Other speakers, including convener Dr. Tope Toogun and Professor Muinati Bello of the University of Maiduguri, stressed the need to learn from global best practices while tailoring solutions to local contexts to build a prosperous and sustainable future.
The four-day training aimed to equip university participants with foundational knowledge of LED and strategies to strengthen the university-community relationship at an institutional level.
