Transforming University Administration: AI is an opportunity, not threat –Say NSUK, AKUM Registrars
By: Goodluck E. Adubazi – Abuja.
A two-day workshop organized by the Association of Nigerian University Professional Administrators (ANUPA), held from Thursday, May 29 to Friday, May 30, 2025, concluded with a call from resource persons urging university professional administrators to embrace emerging digital trends, emphasizing that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an opportunity, not a threat.
In a separate chat with Standard-Times Nigeria, the Registrar of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), and Chairman of the Association, Dr. Bala Ahmed, said:
“Participants know this is a training that gives us, as administrators, the opportunity to refine our way of doing things. From the presentations, it’s all about innovation—ways of improving how we work—because that is where the world is heading.
I hope that one of the key takeaways for most of the participants is to change how they do things for the better. As professional administrators, we must always strive to improve. That is the essence of training. That is the purpose of workshops like this.”
On his part, Dr. Babangida Jatau Bala, Head of Registrar, Management and Council Affairs at Abdulkadir Kure University (AKUM), Minna, stated:
“It’s a very vital training program. It exposes professional administrators to new developments and trends in university administration and offers the opportunity to interact with colleagues from across Nigerian universities.
I strongly advise that universities should be encouraged to release their staff to attend such training programs. It would benefit both the individual institutions and the university system as a whole.”
The workshop featured several sessions. In the first, the resource person emphasized leadership skills, highlighting the need to deploy AI to drive innovation, improve time and resource management, and resolve conflicts among colleagues.
“No leader has ever succeeded by sitting idle and engaging in wishful thinking. Excellent leadership does not come by accident, nor is it bestowed on anyone by wealth. It is earned through hard work,” said NSUK Registrar, Dr. Bala Ahmed II.
In the same vein, Dr. Jatau stressed the importance of problem-solving and analytics, noting that the university of the future is a vision of higher education institutions that prioritize skills development, flexibility, accessibility, interdisciplinary approaches, and global perspectives.
According to Dr. Jatau, continuous innovation is essential. He urged university professional administrators to embrace a culture of lifelong learning, develop and support innovative programs and services, and build partnerships and collaborations among themselves.
