Yours is a private university located in Abuja. What is it like running such an institution where the cost of doing business is relatively high?
Baze University is centrally located in the Federal Capital Territory, which makes it accessible to people seeking university education from across the country. That was part of the vision of our founder and chancellor, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, when he established the university about 15 years ago. At the time, this area was relatively remote and could be described as the countryside. However, the cities surrounding it developed, and today the university is much closer to the city than it used to be. Beyond location, we have a very conducive environment. The greenery, serenity, planning, gardening, and maintenance culture you see around the university are deliberate. They are part of what we have developed over the years in line with the vision of the chancellor. Despite the fact that running the institution is capital-intensive, our fees are also competitive. As a private university, we do not receive government allocations, but our fees are not outrageous. Everything required to fund and sustain the university comes largely from tuition and other private resources, including support from the investor and, at times, bank credit. We, therefore, try to be fiscally responsible while ensuring that we do not compromise our responsibilities to our students and other stakeholders.
We also operate under the oversight of our regulatory agencies, including the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, the National Universities Commission, NUC, and the Federal Ministry of Education. We have consistently worked to meet their requirements, and this is not a one-off exercise. It is a continuous process. Ultimately, the idea behind Baze University is to redefine tertiary education in Nigeria at the university level and make it competitive with some of the best universities in the world. That cannot be achieved overnight. Some of the oldest universities in the world, such as Oxford and Cambridge, have existed for centuries. They grew through careful planning, deliberate policies, and consistent implementation. That is the approach Baze University is taking. Our vision is anchored on the belief that education is central to human capital development. When a society develops quality human capital, it has a greater capacity to advance from wherever it finds itself. There is always room for development, review, correction, and innovation. At Baze, we have a clear picture of where we want to be, and we are pursuing that vision painstakingly and methodically.
Many promoters of private universities in Nigeria have called for their inclusion as beneficiaries of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, interventions. What is your view on this?
I do not think it would be a bad idea. We are all training people for the same labour market. When students graduate from private universities, they do not go into a different labour market from graduates of public universities. They work in the same economy and are citizens of the same country. Private universities also deserve consideration because it is not easy to fund a university. Anyone who thinks a university is simply a profit-making organisation is mistaken. Think of the requirements for establishing departments and faculties in a university. Consider what it takes to employ qualified staff, acquire facilities, and provide utilities. These are huge and capital-intensive undertakings. Apart from faith-based organisations, it is a Herculean task for individuals to establish and sustain universities. Therefore, if private universities receive government support, I do not think there is anything wrong with that. We are all citizens of Nigeria. This is the reason you see universities that obtained licences and later struggle, or even go under, because they cannot sustain their operations or pay salaries. It is difficult.
So, if TETFund wants to support private universities, I have no problem with that. That said, TETFund is also mindful of its mandate and has already introduced some programmes that include private institutions. There are initiatives they are beginning to implement, and the executive secretary of the commission deserves commendation for those steps. However, we are looking forward to more benefits and greater inclusion of private universities in appropriate TETFund interventions.
Is there anything the university is doing to attract foreign students, a challenge that is largely with most public universities in Nigeria?
The first thing is the environment. You can see how lush, green, and serene the university is. The planning, gardening, and maintenance culture are very deliberate here, and we continuously work to sustain them. We also have a careful recruitment culture. Many of our staff are selected from different parts of the world. We have foreign scholars working alongside Nigerian academics, creating a multicultural and international academic environment. In the coming weeks and months, we are also beginning a system of having external examiners from abroad to review what our faculties are doing. This will complement the oversight provided by our local regulatory agencies, including the NUC, JAMB, and the Ministry of Education.
The objective is to have external experts review our programmes, give us advice, and suggest ways through which we can continue to improve and align with global best practices. Our student population is also becoming increasingly diverse. We have students from across Africa, particularly West Africa, and, in some cases, from countries in the Far East. We are also collaborating with countries within the West African subregion, including Sierra Leone. Our postgraduate school is named after the president of Sierra Leone, which is one of the highlights of that collaboration and the beginning of several other initiatives we hope to develop with the country. We are also in discussions with stakeholders in East Africa, particularly Nairobi. We are growing at our own pace, but steadily and methodically, while remaining mindful of regulatory requirements. In all, our interest is in Nigeria, the subregion, and Africa, with the ultimate objective of contributing to the global community.
What is the place of research in Baze University’s development strategy?
Research is our hallmark of development because its essence is to provide new insights, perspectives, and dimensions beyond what we have been doing. The essence of a university is not only teaching but also research and community service. We have established several programmes, partnerships, and collaborations that are helping us to strengthen our research culture. Our personnel are also carefully recruited, and we deliberately look for people who are research-oriented. Without research, an institution can become jaded, antiquated, and dated. That is not acceptable in a world of continuous innovation and development, particularly with the ongoing revolution in communication technology. There are many areas where I can point to our research activities, but if I start listing them, we may not leave here today.
Nigeria is a country that is burdened by high graduate unemployment. Interestingly, your university is involved in the IDEAS programme, where you recently graduated over 928 Jigawa indigenes equipped with various skills. What lessons could be learnt from Baze University, and what is the impact of such collaboration?
At Baze University, we are conscious of the need to equip our students with skill sets that would not only make them self-reliant on graduation, but would also enable them to drive innovations and contribute meaningfully to the economic development of the country. We understand the importance of collaborations, which is why we are in partnership with several organisations. The IDEAS programme is one of the initiatives we are involved in. It is supported by the World Bank, and through the programme, we train people in various soft skills that can guarantee a level of independence. That process eventually culminated in the graduation of the beneficiaries. We have several other partnerships because we are not interested in graduating people who leave the university without knowing what to do with their education. We want to produce graduates who can not only become self-employed but can also drive innovation.
Take a look at our alumni. Many of them are doing very well. They occupy important positions, while others are entrepreneurs and business people. We have a dynamic multidisciplinary directorate responsible for general courses, and we have also started an entrepreneurship programme designed to teach basic skills across different disciplines. Today, graduates often find themselves working outside the specific areas in which they studied. The world has become increasingly interconnected and inter-disciplinary. Therefore, people who are multi-skilled have an advantage over those with only one skill set. We are conscious of this reality and are preparing our students not only to be excellent in their chosen fields but also to develop additional skills that will enable them to adapt and take on other opportunities when necessary.
There is a perception that Baze University is mainly a university for politicians and prominent personalities. How would you respond to that?
Well, there will always be perceptions around institutions and entities, but that perception is not accurate. We have graduated thousands of people, and while some prominent individuals may have attended the university, our student population is much more diverse. Apart from politicians, we have professionals and senior members of society studying here. We have had former ministers and managing directors among our students. Politicians and celebrities naturally attract public attention because of their positions and visibility. But does that make Baze University a university exclusively for politicians? No. We have a variety of students. There is also no reason to deny politicians the opportunity to learn, relearn, and, where necessary, unlearn. Learning is a continuous process throughout life.