The outgoing Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Professor Lilian Imuetinyan Salami, likened managing students at the institution to overseeing a motor park filled with unruly youths. Salami, a professor of Food and Nutrition, shared this reflection during a thanksgiving service and book launch marking the conclusion of her five-year tenure as the 10th Vice-Chancellor of UNIBEN.

Recalling a turbulent moment from her tenure, Salami highlighted an incident on September 15, 2024, when students, protesting a hike in school fees, forced her to walk with them from her lodge to the main campus gate. When exhaustion set in, she pleaded for a vehicle, and a Toyota Hilux with deflated tires was provided to prevent her from escaping.

During her speech, Salami identified chronic underfunding, inadequate personnel, and frequent staff strikes as persistent challenges facing public universities in Nigeria. Despite these difficulties, she expressed gratitude for her time in office and called for better support for higher education in the country.