Academic Institutions in the country have been asked to cohabit mutually with their host communities towards a peaceful coexistence and for development.
Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, the immediate past Chief of Staff to former President Mohammadu Buhari, gave the advice at the 4th Distinguished Public Lecture of the Federal University, Lokoja.
Prof. Gambari spoke on the topic titled “The Relevance of University Education in Innovation for the Advancement of Town and Gown Symbiosis”,
says Lokoja is a critical launching pad for what the future holds for the country, reason why the Federal University Lokoja must through research and her contributions to knowledge seek way of ensuring her relevance.
The presentation Prof. Gambari said has become necessary in view of the growth of the sudden explosion of higher earning jobs that attract very skilled people, improved contribution to the tax pool, property values which begins to rise, with the establishment of the FUL.
He said University’s, like the FULokoja, have witnessed an expansion in terms of size, and an overall improvement of other services and quality of life, reason why the need for a symbiotic relationship between the town and the gown.
” A university with a student population in the tens of thousands, is suddenly unable to function due to the physical absence of students. People whose sole occupation evolved around the presence of these students were suddenly caught of guard, from the shoe shiner/cobbler to commuter buses/ porters in the hostels who relied on daily tips. All the way to Landlords who rented off-campus housing to students were suddenly caught in a very difficult position”.
” These developments do not happen without a firmly established basis for cooperation and collaboration between the Town & Gown components”, according to Prof. Gambari, stressed the relevance of a University Education relative to Innovation.
According to Prof. Gambari, ” The Gown must be cognizant of not isolating themselves and ensure they descend from their ivory tower and engage with the town, build inroads into the community, and embrace them with open arms and finding a way to embed them into the campus. The town on the other, should also understand the enormous responsibilities that comes with playing host, to a very diverse group of people young and old, who may not fully understand the nuances of their cultures, societal norms and traditions and learn to accommodate by being warm, friendly and hospitable”.
Prof. Gambari described the relationship between Town & Gown in academic circles as an “arranged marriage” in which partners have no choice, but to be together, secondly, divorce is not a realistic option for the town-gown partners. Infact, Town & Gown relationships are the true embodiment of the phrase “till death do us part”.
Prof. Gambari described the gown, as key players in the global knowledge economy, essential participants in the emerging innovation systems, and active stakeholders that play a pivotal role in the process of innovation and knowledge commercialization for the development of the town. The development of the town via an immediate injection of capital by the Government in the form of startup funds into the community, thus economic activity is either birthed or re-charged by this investment, employment is immediately brought to the local community by way of construction jobs, supply of building materials amongst other value chain activities that support such a project”.
Prof. Gambari recalled his days in KWASU as Pro-chancellor, said the Vice -Chancellor and management team spearheaded the formation of the Centre for Community Development, praised
Vice- Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja, Professor Olayemi Akinwunmi for his initiative in advancing the University.
The centre he explained adopted a bottom-up approach in implementing its community development activities throughout Kwara State and beyond by administering action research grants, supervising and coordinating lecturers’ community development projects in local communities, and training KWASU students and awarding certificates in community development to all students who met the requirements.
The initiative Prof. Gambari noted will help in cultivating the relationship between the institution and the local community.
Prof. Gambari advocated, ” Environment and Community Development that continues to support the development of ideas by students and staff towards innovation in supporting host communities and the entire state, describing it as an example of Town and Gown collaboration he witnessed.
The guest speaker noted that the ability to maximize the potential of the Town & Gown relationship, completely resides in partners commitment to align their priorities and have a harmonious working relationship.
While noting that the campus and the town should have mutual concerns about shared facilities, utilities, cultural centers, social centers, safety and health, population management, economic development and land use, the demand for these services he added is constantly evolving, pointing out that there is never an ending need to manage them in the present as well as plan for them in the future.
Prof. Gambari noted that neither the school nor the town can have the economic means to take on the complete burden of satisfying these needs.
“Duplication of services, however, is wasteful and universities and towns must thereafter work together”.
“The only route to achieving these successes is through mutual planning and shared recognition and responsibility”, Prof Gambari said.
“This planning and collaboration must address the potential benefits and burdens for both the school and the town. Thus to plan effectively for the future both the School and the town must decide what they want for the future. What they can invest for the future and they can cooperate toward that shared future which will be mutually beneficial”.
The benefits of mutual collaboration, Prof. Gambari explained must be an understanding and recognition from both parties about the importance of each other.
The former Chief of Staff, said the leadership of the Gown must also be purposeful in establishing lines of communication with the community leaders.
He also advocated the need for a dedicated resource whose singular goal is to on a day to day basis cultivate and prioritize matters concerning Town and Gown relations thereby turning plans into measurable action steps that can demonstrably executed.
On the importance of Lokoja in the history of the country when juxtaposed with the location of the Federal University Lokoja in ensuring that it still retain it geographic advantage being at the nerve center of so many supply chains that criss-cross the country. He advocated a comparative advantage that can be capitalized by members of the Town and Gown establishment.
Prof. Gambari noted that the study of supply chain and the elements that make it flourish is an interesting point of convergence that could bring together the objectives of both of Lokoja and FUL, added that If properly designed, supply chain hubs are equally as important as their manufacturing hubs, challenged Lokoja – Town and Gown establishment to cohabit mutually.
Prof. Gambari stressed the need for a Symbiotic relationship. He said such relationship exists when both the town and the gown derive mutual and optimal benefits from their interaction in ways that ensure peace and safety, employment generation, capacity building of locals, enhanced corporate social responsibilities, and mutual collaborations on multi-dimensional areas that facilitate the achievement of the goals of higher education and the development requirements of the host community.
The FUL was established in 2011, alongside 8 other Federal institutions by the former President Goodluck Ebele Jonanthan, has under the headship of Vice- Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja, Professor Olayemi Akinwunmi made giant strides.
Lokoja was the capital of British Northern Nigeria and the administrative center for British colonial government following the 1914 amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates. Lokoja is currently projected to have a population of about One million people. The rationale behind its adoption as an administrative capital, amongst other reasons, was due to its geographical location and ability to serve as a warehousing or logistics hub as goods were moved from the Northern part of the Country to the Southern and vice -versa, reason why Prof. Gambari says calls for mutual working relationship between the University and the town.
the very important question of Town and Gown relationships.
A university education could be framed as investments in students that yield benefits in the long run, for both the students, their families and their environments.
In Nigeria, the goals of higher education, and especially university education include contributing to national development through the training of high-level manpower, and the provision of affordable and accessible quality learning opportunities according to the needs and interests of all Nigerians. It also includes the provision of high-quality career counseling and lifelong learning for self-reliance, reduction of skills shortages, promotion of scholarship, entrepreneurship, and community service, ensuring national unity, and promotion of national and international synergy for needed growth and development
But for all this to hold true, there also needs to be investments in the University as citadels of learning.
It is this investment that allows students to reach what academics have described as the Knowledge frontiers and exploit their natural talents.
Additionally, a deliberate policy that encourages investment in research universities play an important role in knowledge creation and innovation,
also liberalized access to such institutions would inevitably lead to huge gains in innovation.
The attainment of the goals of university education, as identified above, requires the interdependence and close collaboration of the town and the gown
identified at least three possible forms of relationship between the town and the gown.
The first is the Commensalism relationship in which either the university (gown) or host community (town) benefits while the other derives neither benefit nor harm.
While this form relationship is not encouraged but it does exist, for instance, when the management of universities are indifferent to the interest of host communities in respect of employment, capacity building, information dissemination, corporate social responsibilities. This often generate tensions, conflicts, social unrest, and invariably academic disruption thereby defeating the attainment of higher education goals.
The second form of relationship is the Parasitic relationship. This exists when either the town or gown whereby one enjoys maximum benefit while the other party suffers. This could happen when universities are located, for example, where farmlands markets, or host community’s historical treasures exist or when host communities perform traditional rituals or atonement to deities without giving adequate notice to the institutions located within their territories for appropriate measures to be taken to forestall avoidable calamities which could lead to loss of life or breakdown of law and order.