The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, has raised concerns over the impact of the exit of renowned scholars on the policy and global rating of the institution.

Speaking at a lecture to mark the retirement and 70th birthday anniversary of Professor Mutawakilu Tiamiyu of the Data and Information Science Department, the Vice-Chancellor noted that the retirement of competent hands would tell on the policy and ratings of the institution.

According to him, the erudite professors have contributed immensely to the growth of the university, especially in terms of its global acceptability. He expressed concern about the institution’s ability to maintain its policy and international prestige as competent hands continue to leave the university.

The Vice-Chancellor acknowledged the efforts made by the erudite professors in attaining the institution’s ranking and international recognition. He stressed that their exit is an invitation to the age of the University of Ibadan, which is the first and oldest in Nigeria. He also mentioned that it has become increasingly difficult to recruit staff without the necessary support from the government.

“A lot of efforts have made and these are the people that have made it and by the time our professors go one by one, it is an invitation of our age for university of Ibadan, first and the oldest and we also have the characteristics of erudite professors leaving us one by one, so we only hope we will be able to get it right. It is becoming very difficult to recruit staff now without the kind of things we use to do in the past when the univeristy does not need any permission from Abuja or elsewhere but it is different these days. We hope that in the next 10 years or more, we will be able to maintain our position among the committees of academics,” he said.

In his keynote address, Tunde Adegbola celebrated Professor Mutawakilu Tiamiyu’s contribution to the formalizing development of capacity to manage information society in West Africa origins.

The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Head of Department, Data and Information Science, formerly Africa Regional Centre for Information Science, University of Ibadan, Williams Nwagwu, Abdul-Ramon Oloyede, Retired Professors, Olatokunbo Aina and Rotimi Oderinde, Dean, Faculty of Multidisciplinary Studies, Olawale Albert, Iyabo Mabawonku, Rasheed Aderinoye, Akinbule Lukman, Yunus Raji, and others.