The institution has redefined the scholarly identity of Arabic in Nigeria’s university system, Says Sanni

By Sadiq Abdulfatah

A Professor of African and Middle Eastern Studies, Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University (LASU), Amidu Olalekan Sanni, has called on academics and students to sustain scholarship in Arabic, saying that the language is a vital bridge in global knowledge transfer.

He made the call at the institution’s inaugural lecture series, 111th edition titled, ‘The Odyssey of a Theorist in Arabic- Islamic Scholarship: The Pain, the Gain and the Twain’, which he delivered.

Sanni stressed that the institution has redefined the scholarly identity of Arabic in Nigeria’s university system, producing versatile graduates who excel in diverse fields.

“With every generation of scholars, we must sustain the sense and relevance of Arabic. After all, the classics of global science reached the world through Arabic translations. To abandon this heritage is to ignore a pillar of human civilisation,” he said.

The don also addressed stereotypes surrounding Arabic and Islamic studies, noting that the discipline has suffered from religiocentrism, a narrow attachment to Islam and ethnocentrism, its restriction to Arab identity. He said these biases often deny recognition to non-native learners, especially Black Africans.

He recommended strengthening Nigeria’s higher education system and Arabic scholarship and also called for reform advocacy to extend to private and religion-oriented universities, which are regulated under the National Universities Commission (NUC) framework as public ones.

On curriculum reform, he stressed the need for a review in the BA programme in Arabic to include coding, leadership, communication and emotional intelligence.

He also proposed the reintroduction of LASU’s former Diploma in Arabic and Islamic Studies (1996–2008), restructured to meet current realities.

Sanni, who has spent more than 40 years of his six-decade academic journey at LASU, called for the introduction of post-professorial workshops to guide new professors in mentorship, impactful research, and community engagement.

The don called on the government to review and implement the 2018–2022 Ministerial Strategic Plan on education, address compromised recruitment and promotion processes, and enhance visibility of Nigerian scholarship through wider online access to inaugural lectures, manuscripts, and archival materials.

According to him, “Compromised appointment processes such as those seen in the UniAbuja vice-chancellor controversy undermine global competitiveness. University administrators must uphold diligence and professional standards in academic assessments and promotions.”

Sanni called for improved welfare and working conditions of higher education personnel, stronger university revenue generation through endowments and alumni support, and reduced dependence on government funding, adding that NELFUND loans should be liberalised for students of both public and private universities, while TETFUND support should also cover private institutions.

Source: This Day