Committee of Provosts and Deans of Postgraduate Colleges in Nigeria holds 68th Meeting
By Isa Isawade
The campus of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, on Monday witnessed a convergence of renowned academics and administrators at the 68th Meeting of the Committee of Provosts and Deans of Colleges and Schools in Nigerian Universities.
The theme of the meeting was: “Rebuilding Academic Integrity in Nigerian Postgraduate Education: Governance, Innovation, and Sustainable Institutional Reform.”
The guest lecturer, Professor Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission, emphasised the imperatives of academic integrity, which he described as a major challenge in Nigerian postgraduate education.
He listed key insights regarding the challenge, including the scope of research, where many postgraduate students face pressure that leads to taking shortcuts.
According to him, “Some individuals are reportedly having up to 30 to 50 publications a year! Predatory publishers and paper mills have flourished by exploiting this anxiety, offering rapid acceptance without proper peer review.”
The second insight, he said, concerned institutional challenges.
“Academic integrity is an institutional responsibility. Key challenges include inadequate research resources, limited ethics training, overstretched supervision, and uneven governance. Furthermore, structural issues within universities can hinder thorough oversight.”
Third was the role of technology: “While technology can assist with tasks such as checking textual similarity or managing research records, software cannot replace the full volume of academic judgment or automatically establish originality.”
The fourth insight listed by Ogundipe was the “Proposed Framework”, adding that addressing the challenges required a three-pillar framework focusing on proactive culture, effective governance, and the responsible use of technology, supported by clear policies, fair procedures, and dedicated supervisors.
He also spoke about the disturbing trend of contract writing, which he described as “really unfortunate.”
“I don’t know whether you have heard people saying they do 50 publications in a year! Even thirty publications in a year is much. The author would put such information there.
“When I assess people and I see something like that, what I do is return it to that university. I say, ‘Look, I’m returning this to you. Restructure it, and when you get it, you can come up.’ So, these are the problems that we have now.
“So what is the central message here? The central message is that academic integrity is an institutional responsibility.
“Not only an individual one. Nigerian postgraduate schools must move from a pretentiously pontificating approach to a proactive culture of integrity, supported by effective governance, responsible use of technology, and quality information.”
The meeting’s host and Provost of Redeemer’s University College of Postgraduate Studies, Professor Adeleke Osho, welcomed the guests and expressed appreciation to the committee for choosing the institution as the venue.
“It is with immense pleasure and a deep sense of responsibility that I welcome you all to Redeemer’s University today for the sixty-eighth meeting of the Committee of Provosts and Deans of Colleges and Schools in Nigerian Universities.
“On behalf of the governing council, the senate, management, staff, and students of our great institution, I extend our warmest greetings and a happy session to you for choosing Redeemer’s University as the host of this important gathering.
“We are particularly delighted to receive this distinguished assembly of academic leaders whose responsibilities place them at the very heart of postgraduate education, advanced research, scholarship, and the development of the next generation of intellectual leaders in our country.
“Your presence here is not merely a location for an institutional gathering; it is an affirmation of our collective commitment to the future of higher education in Nigeria.
“We recognize the enormous responsibilities that rest on your shoulders, and we are honored to provide a platform for exciting ideas and critical reflection.”
The Chief Host and Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele, lauded the theme of the meeting and described it as apt. He highlighted major challenges facing postgraduate education and recommended necessary actions toward remedy.
“Distinguished colleagues, the theme of this 68th meeting—rebuilding the foundation, repositioning postgraduate education for quality integrity and global competitiveness in Nigerian universities—is both timely and compelling.
“Indeed, it speaks directly to one of the most important challenges confronting the Nigerian university system today. Across the world, postgraduate education remains the engine room for knowledge generation, innovation, research excellence, and the development of high-level human capital. It is at this stage that future academics, researchers, innovators, policy experts, industry leaders, and nation builders are nurtured.
“Unfortunately, we must accept that postgraduate education in Nigeria faces some fundamental challenges that require urgent and sustained attention. These include concerns about the quality of research outputs, inadequate research funding, inconsistent standards of supervision, prolonged completion periods, limited access to modern research infrastructure, weak research-industry linkages, questions surrounding academic integrity, and the growing difficulty of attracting and retaining internationally competitive research grants.
“We must be courageous enough to admit that expanded postgraduate enrolment and increasing the number of postgraduate programs do not necessarily translate into improved academic quality. The real measure of success is the quality of the knowledge produced, the competitiveness of the graduates, the originality of their research, and the impact of their contributions to society.
“This is why a call to rebuild the foundation is particularly important. We cannot achieve global competitiveness on a weak foundation. We must examine our systems, identify the gaps, confront institutional weaknesses, and make the necessary changes.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, permit me to list some areas that I believe deserve serious attention as we deliberate on the future of postgraduate education in Nigeria. These are: restoring quality and academic standards, strengthening supervision and mentorship, making academic integrity non-negotiable, addressing research funding and infrastructure deficits, improving completion rates and the postgraduate student experience, and finally, pursuing internationalization and global competitiveness.
“Distinguished provosts and deans, your responsibilities in achieving these aspirations cannot be overemphasized. You occupy strategic positions within the university system. You are not merely administrators of postgraduate programs. You are institutional leaders responsible for shaping research culture, protecting academic standards, promoting innovation, and nurturing the next generation of scholars.
“The effectiveness of postgraduate education will depend significantly on the quality of leadership exercised within our postgraduate colleges and schools. I therefore encourage this community to move beyond discussion of routine administrative challenges and embrace a more strategic approach to the future of postgraduate education.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to Redeemer’s University, where we recognize that the quality of postgraduate education is fundamental to our ambition of becoming an institution of distinction in teaching, research, innovation, and community impact. As a great-place university, we are particularly conscious of the responsibility of producing graduates who combine intellectual competence with sound ethical responsibility and a commitment to serve humanity,” Professor Akindele said.
In attendance were current and past vice-chancellors of Redeemer’s University; the Provost of the Postgraduate College of the National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja, Professor Sunny J. Oniye; and the Treasurer from Bayero University Kano, Professor Tijjani Hassan Darma.
Others were the Internal Auditor, Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Kano, Professor Bala; the Coordinator, Doctoral Academic of Nigeria, Lead City University, Ibadan, Professor Kolawole; the Provost from Moses Orimolade University, Omu-Aran, Professor Varunol; members of Redeemer’s University’s management and principal officers; and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Development, Professor Peter.
Also present were the Registrar of the university, Mr. DKT; the University Bursar, Mr. Samuel; the Acting University Librarian, Dr. Pauline; the meeting’s host and Provost, Redeemer’s University College of Postgraduate Studies, Professor Adeleke Osho; provosts, deans of postgraduate colleges and schools; the management team; members of the university community; and postgraduate students.