Professor Wahab Egbewole SAN, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, emphasized the need for a deeper integration of faith, knowledge, and innovation in university education to promote sustainable development in Nigeria and beyond.

He delivered this keynote address at the Maiden International Conference of the Consortium of Islamic Faith-Based Universities, hosted by Fountain University in Osogbo, themed "Bringing Faith, Knowledge, and Innovation for Sustainable Development."

Fountain University has launched a collaborative programme with five other Islamic faith-based universities from Southwest Nigeria and Kwara State to forge a strategic partnership aimed at crafting a comprehensive blueprint for Nigeria's progress.

The consortium includes Al-Hikmah University, Crescent University, Muhammad Kamaludeen University, Summit University, and Minaret University, with their joint efforts formally commencing at the conference.

Egbewole emphasised the inherent link between faith and knowledge, asserting that "you must have the knowledge about the faith system before you embark on worship."

He argued that higher education must go beyond merely advancing knowledge to doing so innovatively and sustainably. This holistic approach, he noted, is crucial for producing graduates equipped with essential "employability skills, creative thinkers and leaders with a great sense of purpose and imbued with virtues of honesty, integrity, justice and focused on the transformation of the society." Faith, in this context, provides the indispensable moral and ethical framework, ensuring learning has a profound purpose beyond mere acquisition.

Professor Egbewole stressed that achieving sustainable development in higher education necessitates "the integration of faith, knowledge and innovation."

He pointed out that faith-based institutions have historically championed holistic development, combining intellectual and spiritual growth. He drew parallels between the Brundtland report's definition of sustainable development meeting "the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" and Islamic teachings found in the Qur'an and the Sunnah, which consistently warn against "corrupting this planet (the Earth)."

He cited the Prophet Muhammad's advocacy for sustainability, even in the face of imminent doom, as a powerful illustration of the Islamic duty to preserve life for future generations.

Earlier in her welcoming address, Professor Ramota Karim, Vice-Chancellor of Fountain University, Osogbo, described the conference as "a convergence of minds and missions a gathering inspired by faith, driven by knowledge, and anchored on the pillars of innovation."

Professor Karim emphasised the urgent need to approach modern global complexities, from technological disruption to environmental degradation, "from a faith-informed, ethically grounded perspective." She firmly believes that faith-based institutions are uniquely positioned to offer "solution-oriented scholarship that uplifts society."

The Vice-Chancellor expressed satisfaction that the maiden conference received over "107 abstracts from scholars across more than 20 institutions," underscoring the vision's relevance and affirming a shared responsibility to reshape the discourse on sustainable development from an Islamic perspective.

She also acknowledged the "pressing structural and financial challenges facing private tertiary institutions in Nigeria," noting that the conference would also address critical topics like alternative university funding and research sustainability.