The Vice-Chancellor of Thomas Adewumi University (TAU), Oko-Irese, Professor Francisca Oladipo has called on African and Russian universities to place the training of engineers at the forefront of their educational partnerships.
A statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Professor Oladipo made the call on Tuesday during the Academic Session for Russian and African Rectors, held at the Saint Petersburg Mining University, Russia.
The statement added that the forum was organized as part of the Second Russia-Africa Raw Materials Dialogue while noting that Professor Oladipo was the only Nigerian Vice-Chancellor featured on the official speakers’ programme.
Delivering a presentation titled’“From Ore to Engineer: Nigeria’s Engineering Education System, and the Partnership it Invites’ , she emphasized that robust engineering training must remain central to any bilateral cooperation in the minerals sector.
Highlighting the current landscape of engineering education in Nigeria, Professor Oladipo disclosed that 122 out of the country’s 328 universities now offer accredited engineering programmes noting that 52 among these have successfully transitioned to the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) accreditation model, contributing to a national register that currently hosts 101,393 engineering practitioners.
She further noted that Nigeria and Russia already share a common accreditation language, which provides a strong foundation for joint degrees, credit transfers, and mutual academic recognition.
Professor Oladipo said Russia has been a full signatory to the Washington Accord since 2012, while Nigeria has maintained provisional signatory status since 2023.
Pointing out a critical deficit in Nigeria’s technical workforce which is the widening gap between the supply of engineering professionals particularly technicians and technologists and actual national demands, this shortfall, she noted, comes at a pivotal time as Nigeria pushes its local value-addition policy, which aims to domesticate lithium processing and steel production.
Reflecting on historical ties, Professor Oladipo recalled that Nigeria’s premier steel plant, the Ajaokuta Steel Company, was built in partnership with the Soviet Union in 1979 adding that while physical systems can be purchased, internal expertise must be developed domestically.
‘Infrastructure can be imported, but capability must be grown. Africa’s minerals will be processed somewhere. The question is who will be trained to do it’ she said.
She also proposed a joint partnership for postgraduate training in mineral processing and metallurgy between Russian and African universities, while calling for intelligent mining built on trusted, African-owned data and stronger pathways for technicians and the technologists.
‘Professor Oladipo drew attention to the gap between the supply of engineering professionals and national need, particularly among technicians and technologists, at a time when Nigeria’s value-addition policy is bringing lithium processing and steel production home.
She proposed three areas for Russia-Africa university partnership: joint postgraduate training in minerals processing and metallurgy; intelligent mining built on trusted, African-owned data, drawing on FAIR data networks such as VODAN-Africa; and stronger pathways for technicians and technologists, including support for universities completing their transition to Outcome-Based Education, and Russian language in engineering curricula.
The presentation was warmly received, drawing sustained applause from Rectors and delegates. It formed part of a programme that also featured the Russian Union of Rectors, the AAU, the UNESCO International Competence Centre, and university leaders from Cameroon and South Africa.
Closing her presentation, Professor Oladipo told the gathering: ‘Africa’s minerals will be processed somewhere. The question is who will be trained to do it’ the statement added.
TAU which is located in Oko-Irese, Kwara State, is a private STEM-focused university licensed in 2021-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
