By Mahdi Waziri Mahdi
The Vice-Chancellor of Azman University, Kano, Professor Fatima Batul Mukhtar has called for a transformation of postgraduate research from a pursuit of academic recognition to a tool for addressing societal challenges and promoting sustainable development.
She made the call while presenting a lead paper titled “Transforming Postgraduate Scholarship for Societal Impact and Sustainable Development in an AI-Driven Knowledge Economy” at Ahmadu Bello University’s 3rd Biennial Postgraduate Conference 2026 on Tuesday, October 13.
Professor Mukhtar emphasised that postgraduate scholarship should go beyond producing theses, dissertations and academic publications to generating knowledge that influences policies, drives innovation, supports economic growth and improves people’s lives.
She noted that the changing research environment, characterised by information abundance, artificial intelligence and interdisciplinary collaboration, requires universities and researchers to rethink how academic success is defined.
According to her, the traditional emphasis on counting publications and citations should give way to a broader assessment of research contributions, including policies influenced, innovations developed, businesses created, communities served and lives improved.
She explained that research should follow a process that connects societal problems with investigation, knowledge production, innovation, knowledge sharing, policy development and community adoption.
The Vice-Chancellor also identified food security, health, education, energy, climate change, agriculture, employment, technology and environmental sustainability as critical areas requiring postgraduate research in Nigeria.
She stressed the importance of producing evidence-based solutions that reflect African realities, arguing that the continent’s challenges require locally grounded research and context-specific solutions.
The presentation further highlighted the need for stronger collaboration among governments, universities, industries, communities, publishers, funding agencies and development partners to build a sustainable research ecosystem.
Professor Mukhtar also identified opportunities for Africa in its young population, growing universities, expanding digital connectivity, natural resources and indigenous knowledge, noting that these resources could support innovation and sustainable development.
She called for postgraduate curricula to incorporate artificial intelligence literacy, stronger research ethics, improved digital infrastructure, interdisciplinary collaboration and university-community partnerships.
The presentation also urged research supervisors to place greater emphasis on research design, data management, innovation, career development and the practical application of research findings.
The conference, organised by the Postgraduate College of Ahmadu Bello University, is themed “Innovative Postgraduate Research and Sustainable Development in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.”
The discussions underscored the importance of repositioning postgraduate education as a means of generating practical solutions to Nigeria’s development challenges.