“UI GIVES NIGERIA VISIBILITY ON THE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC LANDSCAPE,” SAYS DVC
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, of the University of Ibadan, Professor Peter O. Olapegba, FNPA, fspsp, C.Psych, FSSAN, has said that the University of Ibadan has been giving visibility to Nigeria on the international academic landscape and is ready to deepen its relationship with Germany.
He made this statement on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, mni, FAS, fspsp, while receiving the Consul-General of the German Consulate in Lagos, during a courtesy visit to the office of the Vice-Chancellor.
Professor Olapegba said that the university has strong collaborations with Germany, citing the Humboldt Research Hub, set up by a network of research centres established by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany.
He disclosed that the University of Ibadan has a significant number of Humboldt fellows, and the collaboration has reinforced the mission of the university to translate knowledge into solutions that improve lives and advance national development.
He also stated that the DAAD Fellowship has impacted the university, stressing that the existing relationships with Germany form a basis for future engagements.
The DVC commended Germany for the opportunities given to UI scholars to learn and collaborate, recalling that staff and students of the University of Ibadan have benefited from fellowships, research grants, scholarships, postdoctoral and doctoral studies in Germany.
Professor Olapegba stated that the admission policy of UI was skewed towards science education, that the university has a vision to become a postgraduate institution that would take leadership in training the significant crop of academics and researchers, and produce manpower for industry and other educational institutions, and that UI has the age advantage to play this strategic role.
He noted that UI looks forward to deepening relationships with Germany and leveraging educational partnerships to handshake with the industries, thereby bridging the gap between industries and universities.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor added that UI was ready to explore opportunities with institutions in Germany and establish bilateral interactions for mutual benefits for the two nations.
The Consul-General of the German Consulate in Lagos, Mr Daniel Krull, stated that his visit to UI was to familiarize himself with the research landscape of the university by visiting laboratories and selected academic units.
He observed that the Humboldt fellows in the university are icons of future collaborations, saying that he was convinced that there are rooms for improvement and opportunities for further engagements.
He pointed out that while many youths are shifting their attention to content creation, the country cannot overlook the importance of science education, stressing that strengthening the nation’s scientific foundation is essential for producing the solutions that Nigeria needs.
The Consul-General acknowledged that Germany is one of the leading countries in engineering and disclosed that there are software engineering and other related companies in Germany that UI can explore for collaboration.
Professor Oluwatoyin Odeku, a Humboldt Ambassador of Science had earlier informed the Vice-Chancellor that the Consul-General resumed duty in August, 2025 and was on a familiarization visit to acquaint himself with ongoing research activities in the university in connection with existing collaborations.