COPSUN Urges Universities To Establish AI And Digital Governance Committees

The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities (Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities (COPSUN)) has called on university leadership across Nigeria to establish Artificial Intelligence and Digital Governance Committees to ensure the responsible integration and management of emerging technologies within the tertiary education system.

According to a communique issued at the end of its 8th Biennial Conference held in Kano State and signed by its Chairman, Professor Ayodeji Omole, the committee stressed the urgent need for Nigerian universities to embrace structured digital governance frameworks that would enhance efficiency, transparency, and innovation in institutional administration.

The body further urged both federal and state governments to intensify efforts toward ensuring the sustainability of university education in Nigeria, noting that adequate funding and policy support remain critical to strengthening the sector. It emphasized that universities must strategically deploy artificial intelligence tools and digital governance systems to improve academic administration, financial management, and data protection.

COPSUN also recommended that universities develop comprehensive digital integrity strategies covering financial operations, academic processes, and sensitive institutional data. It advised the creation of dedicated committees responsible for overseeing AI integration and digital governance practices across university systems.

The communique highlighted the importance of collaboration between universities, anti-corruption bodies, and intelligence agencies to facilitate joint training on cybersecurity, server protection, and intelligence sharing in institutional management. It also called on regulatory authorities to consider policies that would help regulate the proliferation of state-owned universities.

Furthermore, the committee encouraged state governments to increase funding for public universities while urging institutions to diversify funding sources through endowments from alumni and other stakeholders in society. It reiterated that transparency and accountability must remain central to university financial management.

COPSUN also advocated stronger investment in research and development under the supervision of governing councils, as well as the establishment of Intellectual Property and Patent Offices to convert academic research into practical innovations that can support national economic growth. The committee further called for stronger partnerships between universities and industry to ensure research outputs are effectively translated into real-world applications.

Reaffirming its commitment, COPSUN stated its resolve to continue strengthening governance structures in state-owned universities to enhance global competitiveness and improve the quality of higher education in Nigeria.