In an interview with Arise TV on Thursday, Catholic Bishop Matthew Kukah of Sokoto Diocese expressed his worries about the growing promotion of ethnic and religious biases in Nigerian universities.
Kukah highlighted a concerning trend of diminishing diversity and meritocracy in Nigerian academic institutions, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
He brought attention to specific instances, stating, “A mosque was constructed at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I delivered a convocation lecture in Calabar three weeks ago, and the Chief Imam of the University came to congratulate me.”
Concerning the restrictions faced by religious minorities in some Northern Nigerian universities, Kukah elaborated, “As I speak to you, Usman Dan Fodio, who is over 40 years old, Bayero University, and other universities in Northern Nigeria have decided to close their doors to the possibility of churches being built in the universities across this country.”
Emphasizing the importance of integration and interrelation among students, Kukah remarked, “All this fanaticism we are seeing is expressed in public life. If students in the university or at the point of their growing up are not allowed to integrate and interrelate, and if churches or mosques cannot be built across this country, then there is a problem.”
Kukah further lamented the decline of diversity and meritocracy in Nigerian universities, stating, “There was a time when Ahmadu Bello University had lecturers from different parts of the world. Now, look at what has happened to our universities across Nigeria. Our universities have become just mere incubators of ethnic jingoism.”