The persistent challenges of funding higher education will take centre stage as Professor Akinrotimi Iyiomo Oyetakin, a distinguished scholar in Educational Management, delivers Adekunle Ajasin University’s (AAUA) 42nd Inaugural Lecture on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
Titled “Cost Explosion and Expenditure Implosion in Tertiary Education: Equilibrium Heresies in Motion,” the lecture aims to dissect the increasingly unsustainable financial dynamics facing tertiary institutions in Nigeria and globally.
The event, slated for 2:00 p.m. at the University’s Multipurpose Hall, will be chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olugbenga Ige, with guests expected to be seated by 1:30 p.m.
In a statement issued by Professor Adebisi Daramola, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) and Chairman of the Ceremonies Committee, the university described the lecture as timely, given the deepening crisis of underfunding, resource misallocation, and rising costs within the education sector.
Professor Oyetakin, who began his academic career with a National Certificate in Education in 1990 and rose to become a full professor in 2022, has been a vocal advocate for reforms in education financing.
He has authored over 59 scholarly works and contributed significantly to educational policy discourse across several continents.
The lecture is expected to draw a broad audience of academics, policymakers, education managers, students, and the general public, as Professor Oyetakin presents evidence-based perspectives on the imbalance between skyrocketing operational costs and the declining financial capacity of tertiary institutions.
With Nigeria’s education sector facing critical questions around sustainability, quality assurance, and equitable access, stakeholders anticipate that Professor Oyetakin’s insights will help chart a more viable path forward.
Observers note that this year’s inaugural lecture is not only a celebration of scholarly achievement but also a critical forum for confronting one of the most urgent challenges in national development: how to finance quality education without compromising access or integrity.
The university community and the public are invited to what promises to be a thought-provoking and solution-oriented engagement.
