Renowned legal luminary, Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, has urged African countries to prioritise and invest in their intellectuals if the continent must achieve meaningful progress and command respect globally.
Lumumba made the call on 27th November 2025 while delivering the keynote address at the University of Ilorin’s Golden Jubilee Anniversary.
Speaking passionately, the respected scholar said Africa continues to lag behind because its intellectuals are sidelined, underpaid, and undervalued, while politicians enjoy enormous wealth.
“Africa will only be great when the continent and its intellectuals are given their rightful place,” he said.
“We are the only continent where academics do not get the remuneration they deserve, yet politicians are multimillionaires.”
Lumumba stressed that African universities must be empowered to drive development, innovation, and self-reliance.
He praised the University of Ilorin for nurturing excellence and urged the institution to produce graduates capable of solving Africa’s biggest challenges—especially in agriculture, engineering, and technology.
He commended the Vice-Chancellor for insisting that Unilorin should aim to be “the Ilorin of Nigeria,” not a copy of foreign universities.
The Kenyan professor also applauded the university’s “better by far” legacy, sharing how impressed he was by its size, structure, and steady growth over five decades.
“Fifty years ago, Unilorin was a toddler. Today it is a giant acknowledged in Nigeria, Africa, and across the world,” he said.
Lumumba urged the institution—and Africa at large—not to lose confidence in their own abilities and not to depend on foreign validation.
As he wrapped up, he reminded Africans that the future depends on how well they value their thinkers:
“Africa is still punching below its weight. We must not rest on our laurels.”
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.
