Nigeria, July 4 -- Eghosa Osaghae, a professor and the director-general of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), is widely regarded as one of Nigeria's leading political scientists and public intellectuals.

A former Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University and long-time faculty member at the University of Ibadan, his voice carries weight in discussions on education, governance, and regional integration.

In this exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the NIIA DG speaks about his formative years in the classroom, an unusual experience teaching Liberia's top government officials, his thoughts on the direction of Nigeria's higher education and the evolution of ECOWAS at 50.

Excerpts.

PT: While you were in school (Univer...