UI registrar pushes digital transformation at LAUTECH discourse

File: Registrar of the University of Ibadan, Ganiyu Saliu

The Registrar of the University of Ibadan, Ganiyu Saliu, has urged Nigerian universities to transform their registries from paper-driven administrative units into digital, data-driven and strategic centres of institutional development.

Saliu made the call on Friday while delivering a lecture titled, ‘The Future-Ready University Registry: Leading Institutional Transformation in an Era of Change’, at the 12th Annual Registry Discourse of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso.

He described the registry as the “nerve centre” of the university, saying it must move beyond traditional bureaucratic functions and become proactive in driving institutional growth.

According to him, universities are operating in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment, marked by dwindling government subventions, infrastructural deficits, industrial disruptions and increasing student enrolment.

Saliu said the challenges should push university registries to embrace technology and innovative administrative practices.

He warned that continued reliance on paper records exposed important institutional documents to loss, fire, water damage and deterioration, while also slowing processes such as document retrieval, transcript issuance and staff promotions.

“Due to the sheer volume of daily exigencies, the registry is often caught in a cycle of reactive firefighting rather than proactive strategic planning,” he said.

The registrar advocated the adoption of Electronic Document Management Systems, integrated databases, unified dashboards and end-to-end automation covering the university’s processes from admission to alumni relations.

He also urged registry personnel to acquire digital and data-analysis skills, while maintaining high standards of integrity and data protection.

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Saliu said, “Data privacy is a sacred, non-negotiable trust,” urging universities to invest in continuous professional development, digitised workflows, quarterly training and regular review of outdated standard operating procedures.

He added, “In this battle, the registry is not just a passive support system; we are the vanguard.”

The Vice-Chancellor of LAUTECH and chairman of the occasion, Prof Razaq Kalilu, said artificial intelligence could assist university registries in document classification, information retrieval, data analysis, correspondence, scheduling and knowledge management.

Kalilu, however, warned that technology should complement rather than replace human judgement and professional responsibility.

“No digital platform can compensate for an unmotivated workforce. No software can replace integrity. No artificial intelligence can substitute for sound judgment, empathy and professional responsibility,” he said.

Earlier, the LAUTECH Registrar, Mrs Olayinka Balogun, said the university’s uninterrupted academic calendar was evidence of its growing institutional stability.

Balogun, the sixth substantive registrar and first woman to occupy the position, described LAUTECH as a pacesetting institution and, in her assessment, the best state university in Nigeria.

“We can boast of our stability and say without fear of equivocation that our calendar is free of disruption,” she said.