A former Minister of National Planning, Prof. Osita Ogbu, has lamented that Nigerian universities had become degree-producing factories instead of problem-solving institutions.
He, therefore, warned that the nation risked producing millions of unemployable graduates if urgent reforms were not made.
Speaking Thursday evening at the Kaduna edition of the Development as Attitude: National Dialogue Series, organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in partnership with the Gates Foundation under the Nigerian Hamilton Project, Ogbu said “Nigeria lacks world-class engineering schools capable of driving industrialisation.”
“We think universities are set up to produce students, not to solve societal problems. That is one of our greatest crises,” he said.
Ogbu contrasted Nigeria’s system with global practices, noting that in the United States, institutions like MIT, Harvard, and Yale are central to solving national problems, while in Israel, the Hebrew University drives innovation and policy solutions.
He also cited China’s transformation, explaining how the country could quickly “supplies 8,000 engineers and 20,000 skilled workers to support Apple’s iPhone production; a feat Nigeria cannot yet dream of.”
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Lawal Al-Hassan Habib, said the dialogue’s message aligned with Kaduna’s governance reforms.
According to him, progress depends on the values and actions of both leaders and citizens, not just on financial management.
Other discussants – including Dr. Habiba Lawal; Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman; Prof. Maryam Abdu, and Kaduna Chamber of Commerce President, Ishaya Idi – stressed that leadership integrity, accountability, and effective policy execution are indispensable to the country’s progress.
The Kaduna dialogue, inspired by Ogbu’s book, Development as Attitude, is part of a national series aimed at embedding accountability, innovation, and resilience as cultural values rather than mere policy aspirations.
Prof. Ogbu noted that development “is not merely an economic process, but a societal mindset shift,” stressing that sustainable growth “requires values such as accountability, responsibility, and shared purpose among citizens, government, and institutions.”
The dialogue brought together thought leaders, policymakers, academics, and private sector stakeholders to reflect on the cultural, institutional, and attitudinal drivers of national development.