Ilorin: Former Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, has charged Nigerian academics to rise beyond the confines of the classroom and play a more assertive role in shaping governance, policy formulation, and national stability. He warned that silence or disengagement could worsen democratic and institutional decline.
According to Voice of Nigeria, Gambari gave the charge over the weekend while delivering a lecture titled ‘Roles and Responsibilities of Academia in Good Governance’ at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Ilorin Emirate Professors. The event, attended by scholars, public intellectuals, and senior citizens, took place in Ilorin, Kwara State, North Central geopolitical zone.
Drawing from his experience as an academic, diplomat, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Chief of Staff to late President Buhari, Gambari emphasized that governance outcomes are closely tied to how effectively knowledge institutions engage power. He noted that academia and government exist in a ‘mutually reinforcing ecosystem’.
Gambari stressed the role of academia in influencing government, stating, “I have seen up-close where government works and where it fails. In both instances, academia had a role to play in the final outcome,” urging scholars to act as custodians of truth and societal conscience.
He urged scholars to caution political leaders about the fragility of power when it is not shared, warning governments against taking communities for granted. He cited examples from Kwara’s political history, such as the democratic elections in 1957 and the 2019 ‘O to g’ movement, to illustrate the consequences of ignoring public sentiment.
Gambari also highlighted the challenges posed by Nigeria’s youthful population, social pressures, and governance deficits, calling for a new approach from universities and research institutions. He identified key areas for academic intervention, including policy testing, legislative research, public sector training, and anti-corruption frameworks.
He stressed the need for academics to adapt to a society driven by technology and rapid political change, maintaining independence while ‘speaking truth to power’. He outlined core governance values such as ethics, transparency, accountability, rule of law, and sustainability, arguing that these principles are essential for legitimate governance.
Placing Nigeria’s governance struggle within a global context, Gambari noted the pressures from geopolitical instability, technological disruption, and climate change. He emphasized the importance of data-driven decisions and ethical guidance from academic institutions, urging Nigerian scholars to adopt similar roles.
Gambari called for interdisciplinary collaboration across various fields, arguing that modern governance challenges require complex solutions. He urged academics to engage the public through constructive dialogue while safeguarding intellectual integrity.
The lecture concluded with a call for sustained scholarly engagement at both national and international levels to strengthen governance systems and restore public trust in leadership.