The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola, has raised the alarm over what he described as the “Mass approval of mushroom and substandard universities” in Nigeria. The elder statesman lamented that many of these institutions lack basic learning facilities and infrastructure, noting that strict compliance with laws and regulations governing the establishment of universities has been neglected, prioritising quantity over quality education. He, therefore, called on the National Assembly to halt the approval of substandard universities in a bid to accelerate national development. Babalola spoke on Monday in Ado-Ekiti at the opening ceremony of a High Impact Research and Journal Advancement Workshop, organized by ABUAD’s Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy (JSDLP), with the theme: “Diamond Open Access Journal Management and Sustainability.” Expressing displeasure at the Senate’s inaction against illegal universities identified by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the legal luminary said such a nonchalant approach is eroding the integrity of the educational system. He urged lawmakers to critically examine the over 200 new institutions currently under consideration to address the ongoing decline in the quality of education in Nigeria. Babalola said: “The mass approval of mushroom and substandard universities—some lacking even basic learning facilities and infrastructure—is alarming. Strict compliance with laws and regulations has been brushed aside. “As a result of the ‘anything-goes’ approach to university licensing and accreditation, the NUC’s ability to ensure quality control and stamp out substandard institutions has been seriously compromised. “We currently have over 270 universities in Nigeria, with proposals for the approval of another 200 institutions under consideration by the National Assembly. “The focus now seems to be on quantity, not quality—licensing more universities without adequate plans for monitoring their standards.” He continued: “The result is a rapid decline in our educational system and the quality of our graduates. What we need is quality education—poor education is worse than illiteracy. “We cannot seriously speak of advancing sustainable development through high-impact research unless we tackle the proliferation of substandard Universities. “Mushroom institutions hire substandard faculty, produce substandard research published in substandard outlets, and churn out half-baked graduates with little to offer to national development. “Many public institutions owe salaries. How can such universities acquire the latest equipment required for 21st-century education?” He stressed that if Nigeria is serious about driving national development through research, the NUC must prioritize quality over quantity. “The NUC must overhaul the university licensing process to ensure the highest standards and take immediate steps to close down illegal universities—many of which are operating without NUC approval. “Shockingly, neither the government nor the NUC seems concerned about the large number of illegal universities—recently put at 58 by the NUC.” In his lecture titled “Promoting High-Impact Research Publications for Sustainable National Development in Nigeria: Opportunities, Challenges and Future Directions,” Peter Okebukola called for increased collaboration with international researchers to boost the global ranking of Nigerian institutions. According to him, this would attract international recognition and support, helping ABUAD surpass other universities in the country. Also speaking, the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal, Damilola Olawuyi, said the workshop aimed to instill an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset in the approach to research, publication, and journal management. He noted that the Journal, which began in 2013, is accredited by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), and is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), UK, the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and African Journals Online (AJOL).