I would have been a footballer — Mountain Top varsity VC, Elijah

The Vice Chancellor of Mountain Top University, Professor Ayolabi Elijah, tells NAOMI CHIMA about his career and other issues

What are the most important lessons your childhood taught you?

I am from Ogbomoso in Oyo State. My surname used to be Ogunlabi, but I changed it to Ayolabi when I got baptized as a Christian. My childhood taught me the importance of hard work. I lived with my grandmother, so she was the one who passed those values on to me.

She used to wake up very early in the morning, sometimes at 3 or 4am, to pray and then go out to pursue her work for the day, which was selling groundnuts. From her, I learnt how to wake up early, how to be committed to a task and how to be dedicated to my work.

Tell us about your educational trajectory.

My first degree was in Engineering and Physics from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). My master’s degree and doctorate were in Applied Geophysics from the University of Ibadan.

Besides that, I have attended several training programmes outside the country, including in the United States, France and Sweden.

Did you always want a career in academia?

I believe that is the way God wanted it. While undergoing the National Youth Service Corps scheme, I applied to a number of companies. But after each interview, they would tell me that I was not likely to get the job for one reason or the other.

Meanwhile, my colleagues who graduated with lesser grades were all employed. Interestingly, there was no education-related interview I attended where I was not offered an appointment.

At a time, I had offers from the Olabisi Onabanjo University (Ogun State), and the Ibadan Polytechnic. I had to pray and eventually pick OOU. That was how I started my career in academia.

Did you envision becoming the Vice Chancellor of MTU?

No, because at the time it came, I was not expecting to become the VC. My focus was not there, because I had other things I was pursuing. My aim then was to get an appointment outside the country.

In 2014 and 2015, I travelled to most of the African countries and the Middle East through the Society of Exploration Geophysics. I was appointed honourary lecturer for those regions. That gave me the opportunity to speak to professional bodies, as well as university students and lecturers.

On one of those trips, a university in the Middle East was willing to give me an appointment and pay me in dollars. So, my mind was actually not on becoming a VC.

I didn’t apply for the job initially, but later, someone convinced me to apply. After I applied, I was shortlisted for an interview, and that was it.

What did becoming UNILAG’s first professor of Applied Geophysics mean to you personally?

I did not see it as anything extraordinary, but rather as an opportunity to contribute to the development of my field of study, shape policies regarding my field, direct and lead others, and positively impact others in the field.

I have made reasonable contributions to the field of Applied Geophysics, not only at UNILAG and MTU but other universities as well.

What structural changes are needed to empower students in this generation?

At MTU, our focus is on entrepreneurship, which is a major shift. Education these days can only be relevant when it finds application in society and is involved in solving problems.

So, we first develop the entrepreneurial spirit in our students, making them more creative and developing their ability to create and grow their own businesses, rather than just looking for jobs.

Beyond academic qualifications, what practical skills do you think students should have before graduation?

Let me use MTU as an example. Every graduating student must have learnt how to play at least one musical instrument. During the holidays, they go to event centres and churches to play musical instruments, from which they earn some money to support themselves.

Apart from that, we have an entrepreneurship centre where we develop their entrepreneurial minds, helping them to think outside the box, be creative, and develop business plans and proposals.

We also have a vocational programme with about 20 or 21 vocational studies, from which students can master at least two before graduation. We have skills such as designing, leatherwork, farming, ICT, website development and bead-making.

So, when they leave the university, apart from the certificate, they are also going with an entrepreneurial mindset, a musical skill and at least one vocational skill.

If the certificate does not bring you a job, those skills will provide you with something to feed on, and you can become a contributor to society. That helps them to be more creative.

Our graduates are not just skilled; they are also grounded morally and spiritually, so they can be adaptable and purpose-driven in life. We give them strong Christian and moral values during their stay on campus. We take them through the Word of God, teaching them how to stand on their own, live a righteous life and contribute positively to society.

These are the kinds of values we can instil in students to distinguish them in society.

How has teaching evolved, especially with digital technology and Gen Z students?

Of course, for Gen Z, it is a digital age, and to actually engage them, you must be able to operate on digital platforms. They are born into it, so it is very easy for them.

What the university does is that when we started, each student was given a tablet free of charge, courtesy of the Chancellor. But later, as the number of students increased, they had to pay for them.

So, each student has a tablet, and most of the lecture materials are available electronically. They have access to them, so they can prepare ahead of classes and lectures. All our lecture rooms are also digitally enabled.

We have smart boards too, and the lecturers know how to operate them.

It also provides an opportunity for students to log on to websites or libraries during lectures if they need any material. That can be done digitally because of Wi-Fi connectivity.

We do this to provide knowledge for the present generation and carry them along. The digital platform is adequately incorporated into our teaching scheme.

What drives your leadership style?

I have a commitment to integrity, skill development in both students and staff, and a commitment to excellence in whatever we do.

What do you consider to be the biggest hindrance to learning today?

The digital platform, as good as it is, is also a hindrance because of its abuse. That is why we don’t allow the use of telephones on campus.

The youth these days are more focused on their phones, whether chatting or doing other things. It would have been a good thing if the platform was used for their educational and career development because it is actually a powerful platform for development.

Unfortunately, most of them don’t make use of it for their career or educational development. Instead of being committed to their studies, they prefer to chat on Facebook or other platforms.

You don’t need a telephone before you get connected to the world. You can be connected through your laptop or tablet. This is why, at MTU, we provide students with tablets.

The only thing that is not there is the SIM card for making calls. Every other thing can be done on the tablet because the internet is available on campus. We also have control over what can be accessed on the tablet because it is a specially built device. We pay for security to guard against students accessing some ungodly websites.

What is your teaching philosophy?

It is to make an impact. Education that doesn’t make any impact is not teaching at all.

What legacy do you hope to leave behind as the vice chancellor?

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My legacy is not far from my core values, which are integrity, skill and excellence. Those are what I hope to leave behind.

What changes would you like to see in Nigeria’s education policy?

First, the government must know that education is the bedrock of the development of any nation, and must be seriously committed to the development of education in our country.

That means providing what it takes to develop the educational system in terms of facilities, an enabling environment and research support. If we are not developed educationally, there is no way our industry can develop or the nation can develop to where we are supposed to be.

From education come innovation, entrepreneurship development and the ideas to set up companies that can make a positive impact and transform the world. If the government is committed to giving education what it takes, it is really going to help transform governance, business, industry and the nation.

It is only education that can move us from a consumption economy to a creative economy, and it is the creative economy that develops a nation.

The government must stop paying lip service to education and show commitment by providing the necessary facilities for personal development across all levels, from primary to tertiary education.

The second aspect is for industries to be involved in educational development. That is the way to develop new ideas, facilities and products.

They must work together to provide a platform for better training for our students because they get the theory from academia, while the industry provides the needed exposure to find applications for what they have learnt in the real-world environment.

How are you applying this principle at your university?

Virtually all our courses involve industrial training. Students spend six months in industries, where they are exposed to how they operate. That provides them the opportunity to see the relevance of what they learn in the classroom and how to apply it in society.

We also get them involved in entrepreneurship. We bring people from industries who interact with them and show them the applications of some of the things they learn in class.

We also bring industry heads during the Student Entrepreneurship Week, as well as during their project presentations, so that they can collaborate with them.

We train students who are academically, morally and spiritually grounded. This is to ensure that they become people who can transform society.

Our hope is to produce capable, industry-ready and wholesome graduates for Nigeria, Africa and the global community.

If you weren’t an academic, what career path would you have followed?

I would have been a footballer. I actually played football before, but when I got to OAU, I couldn’t combine it with my academics.

I later realised that some students were playing football as part of their normal routine. To me, it was like combining another job with my academics. I had to spend six hours in the laboratory, so that kept me from participating.

What kind of father are you?

I think my children are the ones who can answer that. However, I am sure they would see me as a disciplinarian.

How do you unwind?

I enjoy studying the Word of God.

Are you active on social media?

No, I am not. I am on Facebook, but I don’t post things like Gen Zs do.

I am also on Instagram, but I only post things that are relevant.

What is your favourite food?

I don’t have any favourite food. I take whatever comes my way, so I don’t get unnecessarily attached to anything.

What is your ideal vacation spot?

I have never gone on vacation, so I wouldn’t know.

I am presently away for collaborative work with some universities outside Nigeria on how to share experiences and collaborate in areas of mutual interest for the development of our university.

We want to have student exchange programmes and faculty exchanges with foreign universities that can provide a platform for better development of our faculty and students.

How long have you been a pastor?

I have been a pastor for a long time, since I was in the university. I was the pastor at the school where I was posted during my National Youth Service Corps programme.

I was first a member of Deeper Christian Life Ministry and served as a pastor before I joined Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries. It was actually my wife who found MFM.

How do you see the convergence of your roles as a pastor, and vice chancellor?

As a pastor, it is to tend the sheep, provide spiritual guidance, offer counsel and teach the Word of God. As a professor, it is to make a positive contribution in my area of expertise.

However, as the vice chancellor, it is to provide leadership for the university community, provide direction and guidance, and also nurture them.

Now, the pastoral work, combined with that, helps to direct the university in the way of the Lord, to build a morally sound environment for student development and staff, so that everyone can operate in line with the plan and purpose of God and provide an example for the students to follow.

What advice would you give to parents and students of this generation?

Parents must be involved in the development of their wards. These days, because of the demands of society, parents go to work from morning to night and really don’t have time to check what their children are doing.

They don’t know what they get involved in, and by the time they realise what is happening, it is already too late.

They must know the friends they have and the activities they get involved in, so as to guide them. With Gen Z, it is very easy for them to get carried away by pressure and be misled. If the parents are involved, they will be able to guide them properly. The more time we create for them, the better for their lives.

To Gen Z, they must know that they actually hold the keys to their lives. The way they live their lives today will determine the kind of life they will live tomorrow.

If today they are committed to their studies, they will get the reward tomorrow and be able to live a better life.

But, if they want to go into things they are not supposed to go into, it is going to affect them negatively in life. They must also learn the principle of delayed gratification.

First, build your career. Be ready to work hard and develop yourself. Don’t look for immediate gain, but get involved, make an impact and contribute positively to society. That must be the focus that can make them stand out tomorrow.

If what you are looking for is immediate gain, you will miss it along the line, because the desire to get rich suddenly will drive you to do things that are ungodly.