The Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, Prof. Uduma Uduma, has said universities must not be reduced to mere certification centres but should remain communities devoted to truth, critical thinking and service to humanity.
Uduma stated this on Thursday in Abuja during the 80th birthday celebration of Emeritus Professor Godwin Sogolo.
The event also featured the presentation of Sogolo’s book, Philosophy, Human Values and Development in Africa, in recognition of his lifelong contributions to philosophy and higher education.
Represented by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Prof. Gideon Omachonu, the vice-chancellor said NOUN values scholars who uphold the core mission of universities.
“At the National Open University of Nigeria, we deeply value scholars of Professor Sogolo’s standing—men and women who remind us that universities are not merely centres for certification, but communities for the pursuit of truth, critical thinking and service to humanity,” he said.
Uduma described the occasion as a celebration not only of longevity but also of scholarship, courage and service.
“Today, we are not merely celebrating longevity; we are celebrating a life of intellectual depth, academic courage and enduring service to philosophy, scholarship and humanity,” he added.
According to him, Sogolo belongs to a rare generation of scholars whose works helped shape intellectual discourse in Nigeria and beyond.
“As a philosopher, administrator, manager and public intellectual, Prof. Sogolo exemplifies what it means to combine rigorous scholarship with moral clarity and institutional leadership,” he said.
The chairman of the occasion, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of NOUN’s Governing Council, Isa Yuguda, represented by a former Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Vincent Tenebe, described Sogolo as a “scholar of distinction” and a personal friend.
“One thing I have learned from Sogolo is that he has a clean heart,” Tenebe said.
In his remarks, Sogolo reflected on the development of African philosophy and the need to properly document indigenous ideas.
“There is Indian philosophy, European philosophy and so forth. Africa is no different. Africa has its own philosophy,” he said.
He noted that philosophy is closely tied to culture and lived experiences, stressing that reliance on oral tradition had limited the preservation of African ideas.
“Ideas are not sustained, or are difficult to sustain, via oral tradition. So most of the ideas we have in Africa filter away because they are not documented,” he said.
Describing himself as part of the pioneer generation of African philosophers, Sogolo said Africa was developing its own intellectual system while also learning from other regions.
“Nations borrow from one another. There is no shame in saying that Africa has borrowed from European nations. But we are developing our own system,” he added.
Born on January 4, 1946, Sogolo studied philosophy at the Obafemi Awolowo University and later earned his PhD from the University of Wales.
He is an Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at NOUN, Abuja, and has served as Head of the Department of Philosophy and Dean of Arts at the University of Ibadan. He has also been a visiting professor in universities in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Over the years, Sogolo has published extensively on African philosophy, morality, conflict resolution and democracy, and remains active in public discourse on education and governance in Nigeria.
