Professor Ishaq Olanrewaju Oloyede, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Consortium of Universities in Kwara State (KU8+), has urged universities in the state to serve as the "developmental brain box" by using research and innovation to address economic and social challenges.

Oloyede made the call in a goodwill message at the opening of the fourth KU8+ Conference held at Summit University, Offa, at the weekend.

The former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) urged universities to pool their expertise to develop practical solutions for improving agriculture, reviving moribund industries and providing objective policy advice to government.

He stressed that universities should remain apolitical and maintain their role as independent institutions capable of providing objective advice and helping to mediate when political disagreements arise.

Oloyede, who previously served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, said universities should anticipate future challenges and develop innovative solutions rather than merely reacting to problems as they emerge.

He challenged KU8+ institutions to collaborate with relevant agricultural agencies in Kwara to improve productivity and strengthen the state's economy.

According to him, Kwara has a significant advantage in agriculture due to the presence of several Federal Government institutions with agricultural mandates, including the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM) and the Faculty of Agriculture.

Describing agriculture as one of Kwara's major strengths, Oloyede said universities could leverage the concentration of agricultural institutions in the state to develop research-driven solutions to challenges affecting the sector.

He also challenged the universities to contribute to efforts to revive major industries that have collapsed in the state, including the Bacita Sugar Company, Jebba Paper Mill and Tobacco Company.

Oloyede said research and innovation could help reinvent the state's economy and create new opportunities for sustainable development.

He also commended the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin and Chairman of KU8+, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, for establishing the consortium.

Clarifying the origin of KU8+, Oloyede said the initiative was not established by him, despite earlier collaborative initiatives such as AWAU and U6+ during his tenure as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin.

He explained that KU8+ was initiated by the administration of Egbewole.

The Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II, also congratulated the organisers, describing KU8+ as a commendable initiative that was already strengthening collaboration among universities in Kwara State.

The monarch expressed optimism that the partnership would contribute to improving educational standards and help the state produce some of the best students in Nigeria through shared programmes and initiatives.

In his presentation, Emeritus Professor of Science Education, Olugbemiro Jegede, called for deeper academic integration among KU8+ institutions through the introduction of a credit transfer system that would enable students to move seamlessly between member universities.

Jegede also advocated staff and student exchange programmes, joint degree programmes, and collaborative teaching and research initiatives.

He proposed the development of a unified academic ecosystem featuring a consortium-wide Learning Management System, virtual campuses, shared high-performance computing facilities and cloud infrastructure.

According to him, pooling resources would reduce duplication, improve efficiency and expand access to quality teaching, learning and research facilities across participating universities.

Jegede said the future of higher education would depend largely on academic integrity, technological innovation, evidence-based practices and stronger institutional collaboration.

He urged universities to move beyond working in isolation by integrating research, teaching and community engagement to build a resilient and inclusive higher education system capable of contributing meaningfully to national development.