the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has emphasized the need for universities and institutions of higher learning in Nigeria to move beyond ivory towers and make tangible impacts on the citizenry. 

He said the universities were established as engines of progress, but have often failed to deliver on their core mandate of innovation and problem solving. 

Kalu made the remarks while delivering a convocation lecture titled “Our Gown in Town and in Cyberspace: Sustainable and Human-Centred Education, The Mandate of Our Universities, 2025-2075” at the University of Calabar’s 37th Convocation and 50th Anniversary ceremony in Calabar, Cross River State.

The Deputy Speaker who is of the class of ’98, faculty of law of the university noted that universities have a critical role to play in driving national progress and contributing to global knowledge. 

Kalu also highlighted the potential of Nigeria’s blue economy sector, emphasizing the need for universities to take the lead in building expertise tailored to the sector. 

He said the sector remained largely untapped, emphasizing that it can yield 576 billion dollars annually and create 127 million jobs by 2063 for Africa.