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With 16 PhDs, Accra Institute of Technology shows the way to produce doctorate degrees in Africa
By Dominic Osei-Boakye
Birthed in 2009, started walking fully in the latter part of 2010 at a one block building surrounded by beautifully designed containers at the premises of the Civil Service Training Center and Government Secretarial School at Cantonments, the Accra Institute of Technology (AIT) has defied all odds and become a leader in producing PhDs in Ghana, one of Africa’s major centres of learning.
Once described by a Nigerian journalist as a “potter cabin university” with the registrar’s office labeled as a “two by four cubicle”, the AIT success story provides a model on Africa’s pathway to knowledge and skill development in a more globalised economy. And it is worthy of emulation.
Captained by Professor Clement Dzidonu, a world renowned Computer Scientist, backboned by eminent academics in the Board of Trustees (BoT) including Prof Edward Ayensu (Formerly of World Bank Inspection Panel) as Chairman, Prof. Ivan Addae Mensah (Former Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana) as Vice Chairman, Prof. Jophus Anamuah Mensah (Former Vice Chancellor of University of Education, Winneba), and Prof. Samuel Adjepong (Former Vice Chancellor, University of Cape Coast), the AIT has been built on a solid rock of knowledge champions.
In this league are also Prof. William Otoo Ellis (Former Vice Chancellor, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), Very Rev. Ama Afo Blay (Former Director General of Ghana Education Service), Dr. Grace Bediako (Former Government Statistician) and Mr. K.S. Yamoah (Former Managing Director of the Ghana Stock Exchange). All of these academic have helped AIT to lead the way in terms of production of quality PhDs in the country, and the rest of the continent to set the pace in knowledge engineering.
Through its partnership with Open University of Malaysia, the Accra Institute of Technology has produced Eighty-One (81) PhDs since 2016. This translates into an average of Fourteen (14) PhDs per year. This is unprecedented and a great achievement for a young private university like AIT. Considering the fact that the PhD per capita of Ghana is alarmingly low, the contributions of AIT in bridging this gap cannot be underrated. More importantly, the partnership has fostered the new direction of knowledge-sharing across continents to close the gap deep learning and development.
Did this Come Easy? Not at all! To offer, run and graduate students on an internationally benchmarked Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree programs in Ghana is by all standards a herculean task. As a non-religiously denominated or related private university which is school fees driven with no support from government nor any other organisations, running PhDs can be very expensive. After paying supervisors, external examiners and reviewers, PhD Research Committee members, internal and external moderators, etc, the university retains virtually nothing and makes no profit. This explains why most of the private universities shy away from this daring venture since it is not financially worthwhile.
Additionally, getting supervisors and external examiners to mentor these PhD students is another huge task. Running PhDs in special areas like Business Administration, Information Technology, Engineering and Education come with so many difficulties in attracting supervisors and external examiners who dully qualify to mentor the students.
However, AIT has surmounted this hurdle with collaborations with several internationally recognized universities with competent Professors who have been working hard to produce these PhDs.
Speaking at the 18th graduation of AIT, held on 17th December, 2022 at the ultramodern Knowledge City Campus in Kokomlemle, where AIT graduated Sixteen (16) PhDs at a goal, the President of AIT could not hide his joy especially having led his team to make this huge contribution to academia in the country.
He stated: “Mr. Chairman, I will need to pause here to comment on the historic nature of the 18th Congregation of this young and dynamic University. Today we are making yet another history in this country’s annals of private university education. Mr. Chairman, it is my great honor and privilege to announce that we are today graduating for the 10th time, PhDs who studied at this university.
“This major achievement of a university barely ten years old makes AIT the first private university in Ghana to successfully offer and graduate students on an internationally benchmarked PhD program. This is no small achievement if put within the context of the fact that the PhD per capita of Ghana is extremely low. Mr. Chairman, we can claim that we have become one of the leading postgraduate research institutions on the continent. I want to take this opportunity to assure you that we are confident that we will again be graduating more PhDs next year.”
He added: “The Quality? The quality of the PhDs produced by AIT is not in contention. As highlighted by the President in his speech ‘Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to inform you that, at AIT, we are mindful of the need to provide high-standard tertiary education and training not only aimed at producing qualified and highly skilled people to drive the nation’s development in the information age but also to produce job creators, with the requisite entrepreneurial skills and expertise to set up and run their corporations in various fields.
“Also, as a research university, our focus on cutting-edge research work through our postgraduate programs and research initiatives is geared towards supporting the nation’s science, technology, and innovation (STI) drive towards developing a modern knowledge-based and wealth-generating economy in the information and technological age.”
AIT’s milestones underscored why it was ranked the best private university in Ghana in 2018 and 2019 and was also awarded the Best Technology University in Ghana for the fourth year running by Ghana Tertiary Awards.
Quality of the PhDs produced by AIT is shown in the progress of their graduates. Currently, AIT has Pro Vice Chancellors in public universities who became Professors in less than three years after completion. 60% of the graduates have become Senior Lecturers, Associate Professors and Full Professors few years after graduation. The strict requirements by AIT for students to publish minimum of five papers in a reputable and ranked journal sets the foundation for this growth. The PhD Candidature system where students are mentored by the PhD Research Committee for one year instead of just one supervisor through series of presentations and the strict requirement to write minimum three chapters of your thesis within that period also contributes heavily to the success of these students.
In the last 10 years of the program, AIT has graduated PhDs who are on the academic and administrative staff of almost all the private and public universities in Ghana and a number of Nigerian universities. Given the high international academic standard of the program, more than half of our PhD graduates in academia obtained their Associate or Full Professor within three years after graduation. These are outstanding landmarks pointing to how Africa can close the gaps for deep knowledge and research as it gears into the fourth industrial revolution (4IR).
If anyone thought AIT is resting on its laurels, then such people must rewrite their notes. At the 18th graduation ceremony, thirty-five (35) students graduated to become PhD Candidates after completing the first three chapters of their thesis in the first year. They should be completing their PhDs in two years. This is coupled with a number of students who are going through their Post Viva corrections and the twenty (20) students who are preparing to submit their thesis for examination. Two years from now, it is estimated that AIT will graduate not less than forty (40) additional PhDs.
The Chairman of the AIT Board of Trustees, Prof Edward Ayensu summed it all up in his speech at the 18th graduation: “So far, we are proud to report that our efforts in all directions are proceeding according to plan. We can assure this Congregation, and all stakeholders, that we shall not relent in our efforts to ensure the full fulfillment of that vision”
Conspicuously, the Accra Institute of Technology is showing the way and will fill the PhD gap in the country and across Africa in no time.
My final message to students all of Africa, start your journey with AIT from Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD in Business Administration, Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science, Education and Health and Safety.
Indeed! Your journey to the top starts at Accra Institute of Technology as it lives to its payoff as the University of the Future beginning today. Yes! In AIT, Africa has a chance to leapfrog; the milestones achieved by AIT in so short a while proved that point.
Dominic Osei-Boakye is Registrar at AIT
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Davido, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Karl Toriola, Others To Be Honoured At The Most Influential People of African Descent Awards In Lagos
Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) is excited to announce the Lagos Diaspora Experience 2025, a week-long celebration of African art, culture, innovation, and connection, culminating in the End of the Year Awards & Celebration on Sunday, December 21st, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Most Influential People of African Descent Awards
This historic occasion marks the first time the world-famous Most Influential 100 Recognition & Awards Ceremony—traditionally held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)—will be hosted in Lagos, Nigeria.
The week will feature events such as Diaspora Day at the Fela Exhibition (Afrobeat Meets Diaspora), Cultural Heritage Day, and Business Leadership Luncheons, all culminating in the awards celebration.
The evening will honor the Best & Brightest of the Year, recognizing exceptional individuals and institutions whose work has advanced Global African Achievement and Black Excellence across business, government, media, culture, and technology.
Key Recognitions for 2025
– Governor of the Year & City of the Year: His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, honored alongside Lagos as City of the Year for its global leadership in culture, innovation, tourism, and diaspora engagement.
– Her Excellency Hannatu Musa Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, will be honoured as Minister of the Year for her contribution to the creative economy’s role in nation branding and cultural diplomacy.
– Most Influential Woman of the Year: Olorì Atúwàtse III, Queen Consort of the Warri Kingdom
– Most Influential Man of the Year: Adewale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, OANDO
– CEO of the Year: Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria; who will deliver a keynote address, recognized for his transformative leadership and impact on Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital economy.
Others include; Karl Toriola of MTN as CEO of the year, Uche Pedro of Bella Naija as Lifestyle Personality Of The Year, Ojy Okpe of Artise News as Most Influential News Anchor Of The Year, Stephanie Busari as Media Executive of the Year, Kayode Okikiolu as Pressman of the year, Davido as Artist of the year and several others.
In celebrating this year’s honorees, Michael Ehindero, Managing Director, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, owners of Martell Cognac, who emerged as Brand Of The Year expressed deep appreciation for the brand’s continued global recognition, saying: “It’s a great reward for the team who’s delivered Martell excellently in Nigeria over the years.
“We say thank you to the teams, we say thank you to our consumers and we say thank you to MIPAD.
“Martell has a lot of promising experiences in the years to come in Nigeria and with this we invite you over to Nigeria to experience Detty December”.
The ceremony will also celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2025 Honorees, alongside past Nigerian honorees who were unable to attend their year of recognition in New York.
“For the first time, we’re bringing our world-famous recognition platform home to celebrate excellence within the Global Africa Family — right here in Lagos,” said Kamil Olufowobi, Founder & Chairman of MIPAD. “This is more than an event; it’s a movement uniting the best of us — connecting, collaborating, and working together to change the world.”
Event Details
📍 Lagos, Nigeria
– Friday, Dec 19 – #DettyDec Diaspora Day at Fela Exhibition FREE
– Sunday, Dec 21 – End of Year Recognition & Award Ceremony STRICTLY BY INVITATION
🎟️ RSVP: https://rsvp.oakenevents.com/mipad
Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has called for urgent adoption of advanced digital protections after blocking seven piracy sites amid escalating online threats to Nollywood content.
The call was made during a webinar hosted by Greychapel Legal titled “Clicks, Streams, and Copyright: Who Owns Nollywood’s Digital Future?”, which brought together filmmakers, regulators, entertainment lawyers and media strategists to examine how content ownership and copyright enforcement are being reshaped by the digital age.
Lynda Alphaeus, director and head of the NCC Lagos Office, said the Commission has intensified its efforts to combat piracy across digital channels and is upgrading its operations to meet emerging threats.
According to her, Nigeria’s new Copyright Act was deliberately updated to strengthen creators’ rights amid the explosion of online distribution.
“NCC has worked, and is still working tirelessly to adapt Nigeria’s legal framework to cope with digital distribution challenges. We now have the power to block networks publishing illegal content, and we have already blocked seven websites distributing pirated Nigerian works,” Alphaeus said.
She revealed that the Commission has established a special taskforce known as the STOP Unit to coordinate anti-piracy operations online, alongside new awareness campaigns targeting local markets and schools to educate content creators and the public on copyright obligations.
Alphaeus urged filmmakers and producers to take ownership of their digital safety by deploying available technological protections to safeguard their intellectual property.
She explained that tools such as encryption help prevent unauthorised copying, blockchain technology offers immutable proof of ownership, digital watermarking allows creators to trace illegal uploads, while cloud security and regular offline backups protect creative files before they reach the market.
While noting that copyright in Nigeria does not legally require registration, she stressed that registering one’s work strengthens protection and provides legal presumptions that can be vital in enforcement.
“Whatever you register is presumed to be yours until proven otherwise,” she said, urging creators to invest in copyright knowledge as part of their business strategy.
Other speakers at the webinar reinforced the urgency of protecting Nollywood’s digital assets.
James Omokwe, film director, noted that while streaming platforms have created unprecedented opportunities for visibility and monetisation, they have also opened new vectors for intellectual property theft and unauthorised redistribution.
Solafunmi Laelle, media strategist, added that audience data, which streaming platforms rely heavily on, will increasingly determine leverage and value in film licensing negotiations.
According to her, creators who lose control of their intellectual property, whether through piracy or unfavourable contracts, also lose access to valuable data that could shape their long-term earnings.
Nky Ofeimun, entertainment lawyer, emphasised the need for creators to understand the contractual implications of ownership, platform exclusivity, and reversion rights.
She noted that many filmmakers still underestimate how quickly digital copies can be illegally duplicated or uploaded once control is lost.
The panelists agreed that as Nollywood deepens its digital footprint, piracy will continue to evolve and become more sophisticated.
They stressed that the industry must respond with equally sophisticated tools, stronger contract negotiation, and improved education around copyright.
Globacom, just introduced four brand new movies on its premium entertainment platform, Glo TV, and they are completely free for all subscribers. The company says the release marks another major step in its mission to enrich digital entertainment for millions of viewers across the country.
In a statement from Lagos on Wednesday, Globacom explained that the new titles feature some of Africa’s most celebrated actors and filmmakers, offering a colorful mix of romance, comedy, drama, culture, and emotional storytelling. The lineup includes Johnny Just Come (JJC), Eko Vibes, Bound, and Shifting Desire.
“Each of these movies was chosen to spotlight diverse African stories while delivering world class entertainment unavailable in cinemas, on YouTube, or on any other streaming service. Viewers do not need any subscription or extra payment. Access is completely free,” the company said.
Leading the pack is Shifting Desire, featuring Lilian Afegbai and veteran actor Majid Michel. The film is a gripping romantic drama that dives into marriage, intimacy, betrayal, healing, and the emotional journey of a couple using therapy to rebuild trust. Shifting Desire premiered on Glo TV on December 2 and is already streaming for free.
Johnny Just Come (JJC), starring Patience Ozokwor and Nancy Isime, delivers a hilarious cultural crossover story about an American man trying to navigate love and marriage in an African household. The movie explores themes of identity, family, culture, and coexistence in a warm and relatable way.
The third title, Bound, starring Rita Dominic and Eyinna Nwigwe, is a thought-provoking family drama that follows a successful career woman confronting long hidden personal struggles and the impact on her relationship. The film showcases powerful performances from some of Nollywood’s finest.
Rounding out the collection is Eko Vibes, featuring Broda Shaggi, Josh2Funny, and Nkechi Blessing. The movie captures the energy and hustle of Lagos youth culture, spotlighting ambition, humor, and the vibrant spirit of young people chasing success in the city.
Globacom noted that the new releases reinforce its commitment to delivering original African content at the highest quality. “With these exclusive titles, Glo TV is redefining digital entertainment in Nigeria by offering fresh, premium movies not available anywhere else. We remain committed to growing our catalog with rich African stories that celebrate creativity at its best,” the company added.
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