Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, the former Chief of Staff to the President, has challenged Nigerian academics to move beyond classroom instruction and take a more assertive role in shaping national governance and policy formulation.

Gambari gave this charge in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, while delivering a lecture titled "Roles and Responsibilities of Academia in Good Governance" at the annual meeting of the Association of Ilorin Emirate Professors. The event was well-attended by prominent scholars, public intellectuals, and senior citizens.

The veteran diplomat warned that silence or disengagement from the academic community could accelerate democratic and institutional decline in the country. Drawing from his extensive career as a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Chief of Staff to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, Gambari emphasized that governance outcomes are deeply tied to how effectively knowledge institutions interact with those in power.

He noted that academia and government exist in a "mutually reinforcing ecosystem," where scholarly research and intellectual critique are essential for national stability and effective public policy.

"I have seen up-close where government works and where it fails. In both instances, academia had a role to play in the final outcome", stressing that, scholars must see themselves as custodians of truth, fairness and societal conscience.

Gambari urged scholars to caution the political leaders that power is easily lost, when it is not shared, warning governments at all levels against taking communities for granted.

He cited Kwara's political history as evidence, recalling how the ruling establishment in the old Ilorin Province lost control in 1957 to the Ilorin Talaka Parapo through democratic elections, the defeat of Governor Adamu Atta in 1983, and the 2019 "O to g?" Movement that swept the opposition APC to victory across state, national, gubernatorial, and presidential polls.

He also warned that Nigeria's youthful population, growing social pressures and governance deficits require a new approach from universities and research institutions, particularly in evidence-based policymaking, civic engagement and capacity building.

The former dipidentified key areas where academia must intervene, including policy testing, legislative research, public sector training, institutional reforms, anti-corruption frameworks, digital governance, crisis management and climate resilience.

According to him, old methods of engagement are no longer effective in a society driven by technology, bold youth activism and rapid political change, insisting that academics must maintain independence while "speaking truth to power."

He further outlined core governance values such as ethics, transparency, accountability, rule of law, participation, equity, efficiency and sustainability, arguing that governance becomes legitimate only when these principles are visible and measurable to citizens.

Placing Nigeria's governance struggle within a broader international framework, Gambari said today's world is marked by geopolitical instability, technological disruption, climate change and resurging nationalism, all of which place governments under pressure to make difficult choices with scarce resources.

He noted that globally, successful democracies rely heavily on academic institutions for policy clarity, data-driven decisions and ethical guidance, urging Nigerian scholars to adopt similar roles to prevent social breakdown and distrust in public institutions.

Gambari also called for stronger interdisciplinary collaboration across sciences, humanities, social sciences and technology, arguing that modern governance challenges are too complex for single-discipline solutions.

He urged Nigerian academics to leave their "ivory towers" and engage the public through constructive dialogue, while remaining vigilant against political compromise and loss of intellectual integrity.

"When this ecosystem between academia and governance is in balance, we see policy effectiveness, democratic accountability and social development. When it is not, the result is chaos, distrust and societal breakdown," he warned.

The lecture also called for sustained scholarly engagement at both national and international levels to strengthen governance systems and restore public trust in leadership.