Falola urges varsities to abandon authoritarian teaching, embrace aI-driven learning

Distinguished scholar and global public intellectual, Prof. Toyin Falola, has called for an urgent overhaul of teaching models in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, warning that traditional, authoritarian knowledge delivery is no longer compatible with the realities of Artificial Intelligence and the learning behaviour of the younger generation.

Falola made the call while delivering the valedictory lecture titled “The Transformation of Babcock” at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, as part of the week-long transition activities honouring outgoing President/Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ademola Tayo.

He said the rapid rise of AI technologies and the shrinking attention span of Gen Z and Gen Alpha learners demand a complete rethinking of how knowledge is transmitted.

A cross section of faculty and staff at the lecture.

“AI is reshaping how knowledge is accessed,” Falola said. “More than 90 per cent of what you want to teach is already available through AI. The shorter attention spans of today’s learners call for a new, proactive, friendship-driven approach to teaching, rather than the old authoritarian model.”

Falola, who traced Babcock University’s evolution from modest beginnings to a globally connected hybrid institution, drew from his newly published book The Transformation of Babcock. The work, which he described as a confidential three-year project, is based on more than 1,000 interviews with alumni, faculty, administrators and community members.

“It is a story of vision, setbacks and relentless pursuit of excellence — the visionaries whose dreams shaped what Babcock has become,” he said.

He outlined five institutional legacies inherited by the President/Vice-Chancellor-elect, Prof. Olutunde Afolarin Ojewole: academic expansion, medical excellence, full accreditation and quality assurance, global affiliations, and pedagogic innovation.

Falola, however, warned that the university must brace for external pressures including economic instability, rising energy costs, power disruptions, and heightened competition within the tertiary education sector.

To remain competitive, he urged Babcock to secure a $200 million endowment, empower its alumni network, and establish a Babcock University Institute of Innovation. He also recommended strategic initiatives in cultural diplomacy, sustainability, and sustained dialogue between faith and science – a key underpinning of Babcock’s identity.

Honours for Outgoing Vice-Chancellor

Falola, Ademola Tayo

The ceremony also featured high-profile recognitions for outgoing Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ademola Tayo. Falola presented him with the Thabo Mbeki Award for Leadership Excellence, issued by the University of Texas at Austin with the approval of former South African President Thabo Mbeki.

The honour celebrates leaders “committed to the renaissance of Africa and an unblemished record of excellence.”

Additionally, His Imperial Majesty Prof. Fuankem Achankeng I, Paramount Ruler of Atoabechied Kingdom, Cameroon, and John Mc Naughton Rosebush University Professor, USA, conferred on Prof. Tayo the traditional title NkemMiaAkateh, in recognition of his outstanding leadership.

Falola ended his lecture with a challenge to the university community to lead the reinvention of higher education in Nigeria.

“We must move from authoritarian teaching to a model that values relationships, critical thinking and ethical formation,” he said. “That is the path to sustaining Babcock’s legacy and shaping the future of Nigeria’s higher education.”

The valedictory lecture marked a major highlight of Babcock University’s leadership transition events.