Don urges increased funding for postgraduate research in Nigeria

The Chairman of the Committee of Provosts and Deans of Postgraduate Colleges and Schools in Nigerian Universities, Professor Victor Samson Dunga, has called for increased government funding of postgraduate research and greater institutional support for graduate schools.

Dunga warned that inadequate investment in postgraduate education could leave Nigeria dependent on foreign expertise and research solutions.

He gave the warning while delivering the keynote address at the 68th regular meeting of the Committee of Provosts and Deans of Postgraduate Colleges and Schools in Nigerian Universities, held at Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State on Monday.

“A country that under invests in postgraduate education will sooner or later import solutions, ideas and experts,” he said.

He also urged the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, to extend direct research funding to postgraduate students, while calling on university managements to grant postgraduate colleges greater administrative autonomy and resources.

The keynote speaker, the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Universities Commission, NUC, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, also called on Nigerian universities to introduce stricter measures against research fraud, improve postgraduate supervision and address delays in doctoral programmes.

Ogundipe warned that practices such as contract writing, fabricated research findings, questionable journal publications and the misuse of artificial intelligence were threatening the credibility of postgraduate qualifications awarded by Nigerian universities.

The former vice-chancellor said universities could no longer rely solely on plagiarism detection software to guarantee academic integrity, stressing that institutional policies and proper supervision were equally important.

“Integrity cannot be compromised into existence. Universities must establish effective mechanisms to monitor research activities and ensure that postgraduate students produce original academic work,” Ogundipe said.

He also criticised poor supervision practices, noting that lecturers who accept excessive numbers of doctoral candidates often struggle to provide the attention required to guide their research.

“If you have a PhD student that stays with you for more than five years, there’s a problem majorly with the scholar,” he said.

He urged supervisors to maintain regular contact with their students and establish clear research directions.

Ogundipe proposed mandatory research ethics training, formal supervision agreements, clear guidelines on generative artificial intelligence, regular similarity checks and confidential reporting channels as measures universities should introduce to protect academic standards.

The Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele, who welcomed delegates to the meeting, said postgraduate education remained central to research, innovation and the development of skilled manpower.

He urged universities to prioritise research quality rather than merely increasing postgraduate enrolment.

The meeting, held under the theme, ‘Rebuilding the Foundation: Repositioning Postgraduate Education for Quality, Integrity and Global Competitiveness in Nigerian Universities’, brought together provosts, deans and other education stakeholders to discuss reforms aimed at improving research standards, supervision and international competitiveness in Nigerian universities.