General News
The Nexus between Academic Research and Development: The Importance of Doctoral Degree in National Development in Nigeria
By Onobe Melchizedec , PhD & Elele Felix Chibuzo
In today’s knowledge-based economy, where knowledge, research, and innovation are essential for competitiveness and wealth generation, developing countries require knowledge workers with doctoral degrees to generate understanding for advancing society and the economy.
People with the skills, knowledge, and expertise necessary to propel innovation and build a dynamic workforce are essential to the prosperity of any nation. Therefore, graduates with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree are an invaluable resource for contributing to the growth and development of a country. The objective of enhancing the contributions that PhD graduates make to national development is also a global concern.
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the highest mark of academic excellence, and holders are revered in society as embodiments of knowledge. It confers to the holder the highest level of competence in a field of study.
Acquiring a PhD degree in any field of study sets one apart and makes the person a specialist and, by extension, someone that could be consulted on that field. This scholarly endeavour is celebrated on completion by wearing a graduation regalia adorned with features that signify excellence and honour.
As a PhD candidate, one is expected to conduct supervised, structured research in one of the many related disciplines in which the Faculty has expertise. After this period, the candidate is expected to produce a lengthy thesis demonstrating their ability to conduct scholarly research. The results of this research should make “an original contribution to the body of knowledge” and meet publication standards.
History shows that the first doctoral degree was awarded in medieval Paris around 1150. In 1860, the University of London introduced the DSc as an advanced study course rather than a research degree. Therefore, the first higher doctorate in the modern sense in the UK was by Durham University in 1882, and other universities followed suit.
Yale University was the first University in the United States to award a PhD in 1861, and the first three earned PhDs in North America. In Nigeria, the University of Ibadan was the first Nigerian University to award a PhD in 1964. Accordingly, many Nigerian Universities now offer doctorates in many diverse fields of study.
Data from the second quarter of 2020 report of the National Bureau of Statistics indicates that Nigeria has over 76,526 PhD holders and more than 20,000 doctoral candidates. Prof Tunji Olaopa, in an article published in the Punch newspaper on 8 May 2022, stated that with the absence of current and valuable data, the number of Nigerian PhD holders as of 2022 could conservatively be estimated to be around 85,000.
Pursuing a PhD degree is not only arduous but also time-consuming and demanding; the candidate must dedicate at least three years of academic study and research work.
The candidate must have passed preliminary qualifying exams to exhibit their theoretical knowledge and competencies in the chosen field of study. The person will also complete a complex process of developing a research proposal, creating a research plan, carrying out research in the area and presenting the results of that research to other experts in the field who would evaluate the work and approve that it meets the highest standards of the academic world.
A doctorate aims to produce professionals with the expertise to conduct research and scholarship to advance knowledge and contribute to international, national, state, and local scholarship and development. PhD recipients are equipped with critical thinking skills, scientific research and theorising abilities, high intellectual integrity, a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving and professional competence through lifelong learning, self-evaluation, and self-renewal.
Beyond academic endeavours, the thrust of doctorate research, which is an ingenious contribution to the body of knowledge, should benefit society and contribute to the development of science, engineering, social science and humanities. It should not only be an academic exercise aimed at churning out lecturers for our higher institutions but development-oriented. Research conducted by these PhD studies should form the fulcrum of innovation and the socioeconomic development of society.
Higher academic pursuit up to a PhD degree provides a skilled workforce for specialised knowledge. Doctoral studies typically include training in methodology and research analysis, and obtaining a PhD indicates to potential employers that holders have the analytical skills necessary to conduct rigorous research. Accordingly, employers outside of academia seek individuals with solid research skills to carry out projects at private and public think tanks and research institutes worldwide.
On the micro level, it confers financial and non-financial benefits to the holder. Financial gain is one of the many reasons students pursue a doctorate. Moreover, research indicates that self-satisfaction, self-motivation, and intrinsic motivation are other factors for pursuing and completing a doctoral degree. Acquiring a PhD is essential for employment, career opportunities and progression in the academic ladder.
Historically, a PhD was required to commence a career in academia, and this has not changed, as they are still generally required for academic positions at universities worldwide. A doctorate creates international job teaching/lecturing opportunities and collaborations for holders. Globally, there is continued viability for PhDs in academia.
Socially, the PhD is a symbol of prestige and adds to the social status of the holder, having demonstrated exceptional ability and being regarded as a member of the intellectual elite. In the early sixties and until the late seventies in Nigeria, communities contributed money to sponsor one of their sons or daughters to study for a PhD. It was seen as a communal achievement and status symbol that a community had produced a doctor, as it were.
In research and development, the University is the centre of study and pivotal to new inventions and discoveries in the World. PhD scholars drive most of the research hubs and centres of excellence.
The Government and private sector spend huge budgets on research and development, and PhD students receive grants to research innovations that are valuable to human development. Moreover, doctoral programs provide intensive training in research methods, and the skills acquired in qualitative and quantitative research methodology and statistical analysis are transferable to non-academic research environments, especially industrial research.
In career development, a doctorate increases one’s earning potential compared to other educational levels in universities and research institutes. Those with a doctorate can also anticipate higher compensation inside and outside academia. Doctorate holders in Nigerian universities and higher institutions can only occupy certain positions and posts.
To underscore the importance of the PhD to academic development and knowledge transfer, the National Universities Commission (NUC) and other regulatory professional bodies require a minimum number of doctorate holders as faculty before accreditation for a course is given.
In the body of knowledge, a PhD thesis may also serve as the foundation for a book that, when published, will become part of the scholar’s professional career and scholarly documentation. A doctoral dissertation contributes to the body of human knowledge.
In addition, the results, conclusions, and recommendations invariably contribute to economic and social advancement. In addition, the thought content paves the way for new research avenues and promotes an interdisciplinary approach, which will strengthen the social fabric of lifestyles.
Interestingly, in Nigeria, little is known about the employment of PhD recipients outside the academia after receiving their degrees. There appears to be a void regarding the direct impacts of PhD graduates in the workplace outside the academic environment. Moreover, the research capacity of many employed PhDs has not been maximised.
There are disparities between the purpose of doctoral education and the employment of Nigerian PhD graduates, as some are employed in positions unrelated to their fields of study. People now doubt the knowledge and abilities of this group of highly educated Nigerian graduates, and there is a need for a paradigm shift.
It has become pertinent to re-evaluate the curriculum and content of doctoral studies in Nigeria. Nigeria’s doctoral education should be tailored to play a crucial role in nurturing economic growth. It should be viewed as an investment in human capital, the cost of which is anticipated to yield returns and generate significant benefits in the form of increased opportunities, productivity, employment conditions, and incomes.
Amid our underdevelopment in critical sectors, doctoral education should be a pathway for nurturing independent researchers who can produce and disseminate new knowledge, solve real problems, and contribute to innovation through ground-breaking research, publishing, and forging a competitive edge that fuels national development.
Nigerians expect our doctoral graduates to make significant contributions to the creation of new knowledge, the development of life-saving medical interventions, undergraduate education, and the shaping of social programmes and policies. Our PhD should adapt to the demands of the 21st century for a degree that fosters the development of personal and professional skills to support all critical sectors and promote human development indices.
As society continues to evolve and the universe faces new challenges, the need for acquiring more specialised knowledge will continue to increase hence the need for more doctorate holders.
The training of future graduates, national development and knowledge transfer depends on the quality and quantity of PhD graduates. Nigeria, with a population of over 200 million people and 170 Universities in 2023 (79 private, 43 federal, and 48 state universities) and numerous applications for licencing of new universities, the requirement and demand for more doctorate holders will keep soaring.
However, there is the need to ensure that the curriculum adds value and that the quality of graduates meets international best practices and those conferred with the degree reason philosophically.
Both wrote from Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State
Nigeria is experiencing a complex cybersecurity landscape where reported fraud incidents have decreased by nearly 46 percent over the past four years, yet financial losses from cybercrime are on the rise, according to Check Point Software.
This trend is attributed to sophisticated schemes developed by cybercriminals who are increasingly targeting the nation’s rapidly digitizing economy, with further coverage provided by Dark Reading.
Nigeria’s digital transformation has made it a prime target for cybercriminals.
In June 2026, organizations in the country faced an average of 4,361 attempted attacks weekly, ranking it second in Africa for cyber threats.
While the volume of detected threats fluctuates, it consistently remains elevated, often double the global average.
The Nigerian government is developing a new cybersecurity framework, expected later this year, which will mandate incident reporting, set minimum cybersecurity investment levels, and foster public-private collaboration.
Despite a decrease in the number of reported fraud incidents, financial losses have escalated, with digital payment fraud reaching ₦25.85 billion (US$18.7 million) in 2025.
Insider threats, including SIM swap fraud and account compromise, are significant contributors to these losses. Many organizations, particularly smaller businesses, lack adequate training and resources, making them more vulnerable.
The country’s cybersecurity maturity is ranked at a moderate level, and effective enforcement of existing regulations, such as the Data Protection Act, will be crucial to combatting the growing financial impact of cyberattacks.
TotalEnergies, together with its partners Hydra Storage Holding and Reatile Renewables, inaugurates Hydra project, the largest hybrid renewable energy project in Africa, located in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.
The project combines a 216 MW solar photovoltaic plant with a 500 MWh battery energy storage system, marking a significant contribution to the country’s Just Energy Transition program that aims to decarbonise the economy thanks to renewable energy sources.
The facility will supply 75 MW of dispatchable renewable electricity to the national grid continuously between 5:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m., under a 20-year power purchase agreement signed with Eskom. This represents more than 400 GWh of electricity per year, equivalent to the consumption of approximately 200,000 South African households.
“We are delighted, together with our partners Reatile Renewables and Hydra Storage Holding, to bring the Hydra project into operation. It enables us to supply dispatchable renewable power to the South African grid, thereby strengthening the country’s energy security while decarbonising its electricity generation.
This project reinforces our renewable production capacity in South Africa, the continent’s largest power market in terms of electricity consumption”, said Magali Pailhé, Managing Director of TotalEnergies Southern Africa.
Hydra project has been developed by a consortium composed of TotalEnergies (35%), Hydra Storage Holding (35%) and Reatile Renewables (30%). It is part of the South Africa’s Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme launched by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.
General News
BOI Pledges to Drive Nigeria’s Cocoa and Dairy Sectors with 70% of its €85m EIB Facility
Bank of Industry (BOI) has secured a €60 million credit facility from the European Investment Bank to fund Nigeria’s cocoa and dairy value addition drive, with a focus on processing, ingredients and chocolate manufacturing.
Dr. Olasupo Olusi, Managing Director/CEO of BOI, disclosed this on Tuesday, during the Africa Cocoa Summit convened in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment with the aim of transitioning Africa from exporting raw beans to local processing and branding.
Also known as the Cocoa Value Addition Summit with the theme: ‘From Bean to Brand,’ it was attended by leaders and stakeholders from Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon who signed the Abuja Declaration to establish the Cocoa Value Addition Alliance (CVAA).
According to Olusi, the €60 million forms part of the €85 million EIB–BOI facility, backed by the European Union under the Global Gateway initiative, and designed specifically to strengthen these critical sectors in Nigeria.
“This agreement reinforces the Bank of Industry’s commitment to unlocking long-term, affordable finance for priority sectors that drive inclusive growth. Approximately 70% of the €85 million financing facility will be channeled to Nigeria’s cocoa and dairy sectors, which BOI considers among the industries with the greatest potential to create jobs and retain foreign exchange earnings.”
“We are particularly focused on cocoa value chains, which provide livelihoods for thousands of Nigerians. Through this initiative, we aim to enhance productivity, value addition, and market linkages that will directly improve the incomes of farmers and processors,” he said.
The BOI MD said that the bank would prioritise lending to processors, cooperatives, and MSMEs that add value locally, rather than only to traders exporting raw beans, adding that the era of celebrating volume of raw exports must end, as Nigeria loses billions by shipping beans and importing finished chocolate. According to him, the goal is to create factories around cocoa communities so that value, jobs, and taxes remain in Nigeria.
However, Olusi noted that financing alone is not enough, and as such, BOI will complement the loans with technical assistance on compliance, climate standards, and access to the EU market. BOI, he said, will also support farmers and processors to meet the EU Deforestation Regulation and other international environmental and social standards.
Citing BOI’s track record, Olusi said the bank disbursed over ₦164 billion in 2025 to more than 3,500 agro and food-processing businesses. The support financed factories, mills, packhouses, and cold chains, and linked nearly 48,000 smallholder farmers into industrial value chains.
He said the new financing would target the entire ecosystem, from nurseries and farmer cooperatives to grinding plants, ingredient factories, packaging lines, and chocolate manufacturers.
Speaking also at the summit, President Bola Tinubu called for a decisive shift from Africa’s long-standing dependence on exporting raw cocoa beans, urging producing countries to prioritise value addition and capture a larger share of the global chocolate industry’s wealth.
The President who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, noted that although Africa accounts for about 70 per cent of global cocoa production, the continent retains only six cents of every dollar generated by the global chocolate industry.
He stressed that Nigeria was committed to processing more of its cocoa locally, expanding chocolate manufacturing, building indigenous brands and competing more effectively in international markets, rather than continuing to export raw cocoa beans.
According to the President, cocoa value addition remains a key component of the Renewed Hope Agenda and the country’s broader industrialisation strategy, and disclosed that investors are developing a 70,000-tonne cocoa processing facility in Shagamu, Ogun State, while Nigeria’s cocoa grinding capacity has already surpassed 120,000 tonnes annually.
Earlier, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said the summit aligns with the Federal Government’s ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
She observed that despite Nigeria’s significant contribution to global cocoa production, the country continues to earn only a small fraction of the value created across the cocoa value chain.
According to Oduwole, the Federal Government is promoting greater value addition through manufacturing incentives, investment promotion and stronger collaboration among relevant institutions.
She added that the government would also deepen market access by leveraging existing trade partnerships and opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), while encouraging investors to take advantage of regional and global value chains to unlock the sector’s full economic potential.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, described the summit as another milestone in implementing Nigeria’s Industrial Policy, and announced plans for the establishment of the Cocoa Value Addition Alliance, bringing together Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon, countries that collectively account for about 75 percent of global cocoa production.
According to Enoh, the alliance is designed to strengthen regional cooperation, promote local processing, and enable producing countries to capture greater value from the global cocoa market.
“We are not here to disrupt existing partnerships but to expand them,” he said.
Enoh urged African cocoa-producing nations to move beyond exporting raw beans and instead focus on developing branded cocoa products capable of competing successfully in global markets.
On his part, the Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Ransford Abbey, urged African cocoa-producing countries to deepen domestic processing.
“I am here to support the effort and commit to a joint effort towards increasing value for our hardworking cocoa farmers and our respective economies,” Abbey said.
He said Africa produced about 75 per cent of the world’s cocoa but earned less than 10 per cent of the global chocolate industry’s wealth.
“This system cannot continue. We must shift the paradigm from exporting raw poverty to creating refined wealth right here on the African continent,” he said, adding that stronger regional collaboration, investment and technology transfer will help African countries capture greater value from the global cocoa economy.
The Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Massimo De Luca, reiterated the importance of value addition in the cocoa value chain. While expressing the support of the EU, he called on governments of the various countries to ensure they play their part in ensuring that proper framework necessary for the success of the initiative was established and clarified.
FAAN to Replace Physical ID Check with V-Pass Biometric Verification
World Bank Says 79 Percent of Nigerians Still Trapped in Poverty despite Reforms
SEC Begins Drive to Recover Unclaimed Dividends
ntel Plays Down Calls and Data Services, Moves to BET Agenda
Nigeria Facing Rising Cybercrime Losses – Report
NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira
Nigeria Launches FreeTV Nationwide
NASENI Moves to Digitize CCB’s 5m Assets Declaration and Operations
Lebara Nigeria Launches Lebara Play, Africa’s First Telecom-Owned Micro-Drama Platform
CANAL+ Partners Samsung to Pre-Load DStv Stream on New Samsung TVs In Nigeria, Other African Countries
E-Business3 days agoTD Africa Sponsors Check Point Secure 360 Summit to Boost Cybersecurity in Nigeria
Telecom3 days agoMTN Foundation, MUSON Celebrate Emerging Music Talents at 2026 Graduation Ceremony
Telecom3 days agoNITDA Calls for Digital Infrastructure Expansion to Drive Nigeria’s Industrialisation
News3 days agoGuinness Rolls Out Nationwide Consumer Rewards Promotion
E-Financial3 days agoNext Currency Crisis May Turn $300Bn in Stablecoins into National Currencies
General News3 days agoFirst Trustees Advocates Estate Planning as an Essential Tool in Every Wealth Creation Strategy
E-Financial3 days agoGigbanc Nigerian Fintech Startup Closes Shop after 3 Years
Broadcasting3 days agoMbunabo, Nigerian Filmmaker Accuses Ghana TV Stations of Pirating Nollywood Films