UNILAG Don Seeks Shift to Impact-Driven Doctoral Research to Accelerate Nigeria’s Development
Funmi Ogundare
A Professor of Welding Process Analysis and Surface Modification in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), and Director of the institution’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre, Prof. Mohammed Amuda, Monday, called for a fundamental shift in doctoral research across Africa, urging universities to prioritise community-driven and impact-oriented studies capable of influencing public policy, driving innovation and accelerating economic development.
Speaking during the AFRETEC UNILAG Doctoral Academy 2.0, Amuda explained that the programme was designed to produce a new generation of researchers whose work would move beyond academic theses to tangible products, services and policy solutions that address Africa’s development challenges.
According to him, the academy is part of the knowledge creation pillar of the Africa Centre of Excellence initiative under AFRETEC, a consortium of 10 engineering-intensive universities across the continent working to strengthen research capacity and support the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
He noted that while African universities continue to produce doctoral graduates, only a small fraction of their research has translated into policies, innovations or commercially viable solutions.
“We are producing PhD scholars, but how many of these researches have informed policy decisions or resulted in new products and solutions? Africa must become a critical player in shaping its own development rather than allowing others to determine its priorities,” he stated.
Amuda argued that Africa’s development aspirations could only be realised through a robust knowledge economy anchored on high-quality doctoral research capable of addressing local challenges.
He criticised the dominance of externally driven research agendas, noting that many research grants coming into Africa are designed around priorities set by developed countries rather than the continent’s pressing needs.
According to him, doctoral research must be rooted in community realities through a co-creation approach that actively involves intended beneficiaries from the problem-identification stage to solution development.
“Research should not remain abstract or disconnected from society. If you are solving the problem of water access, you must engage the affected community, understand how they currently source water, the challenges they face and what interventions are required. When research responds to real community needs, adoption becomes easier for governments, communities and investors,” he explained.
The director also stressed the importance of responsible and ethical use of emerging technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), in strengthening research quality and increasing societal impact.
Emphasising the maiden edition of the academy held in 2025, Amuda described the outcomes as encouraging, revealing that several participants completed their doctoral programmes, published their first scholarly articles, secured conference awards and obtained research fellowships.
He disclosed that feedback from participants prompted organisers to expand the initiative by involving doctoral supervisors alongside students to improve mentorship and ensure both parties share a common understanding of contemporary doctoral research practices.
“The participants told us they were being exposed to cutting-edge research tools, but their supervisors were not. That informed our decision to bring supervisors into this edition so they can jointly explore the doctoral journey and return to their institutions on the same page,” he stated.
Beyond expanding participation to supervisors, Amuda added that the academy had also extended its reach from the South-west to all six geopolitical zones in Nigeria while attracting participants from Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, Ethiopia and South Africa.
On monitoring the programme’s impact, he explained that participants now complete structured workbooks throughout the training, after which they are tracked and invited back after six months to assess progress, evaluate outcomes and identify areas for improvement.
He added that one major lesson from the current edition was the need to deliberately include researchers living with disabilities, noting that future editions would make conscious efforts to recruit and support scholars with special needs.