UNILAG Professor Advocates for Impact-Driven Doctoral Research to Boost Nigeria's Development

Professor Mohammed Amuda of the University of Lagos has urged African universities to prioritize doctoral research that is community-driven and impact-oriented, aiming to accelerate the continent's development. Amuda, who is also the Director of UNILAG's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre, believes this shift is crucial for influencing public policy, fostering innovation, and driving economic growth.

Speaking at the AFRETEC UNILAG Doctoral Academy 2.0, Amuda explained that the program is designed to cultivate a new generation of researchers whose work extends beyond academic theses to produce tangible products, services, and policy solutions that address Africa's development challenges. The academy is part of the Africa Centre of Excellence initiative under AFRETEC, a consortium of 10 engineering-focused universities working to enhance research capacity and support the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Amuda noted that despite African universities producing many doctoral graduates, a small fraction of their research has led to practical applications like 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?" he questioned. He stressed that Africa must become a key player in shaping its own development rather than relying on others to set its priorities.

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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.

The professor argued that Africa's development goals can only be achieved through a strong knowledge economy built on high-quality doctoral research that tackles local issues. He criticized the dominance of research agendas set by external entities, pointing out that many research grants entering Africa are aligned with priorities defined by developed countries, not the continent's urgent needs. Amuda advocated for doctoral research to be grounded in community realities through a co-creation approach, involving beneficiaries from the initial problem identification to the solution development stages.

"Research should not remain abstract or disconnected from society," Amuda stated. He used the example of water access research, emphasizing the need to engage the affected community to understand their current water sources, challenges, and required interventions. When research directly addresses community needs, he explained, adoption by governments, communities, and investors becomes more feasible. Amuda also highlighted the importance of responsible and ethical use of emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, to improve research quality and increase societal impact.

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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.