In the pursuit of knowledge and excellence, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has long been a beacon of academic distinction. At the helm of its Postgraduate School, Prof Abraham Osinubi has been instrumental in shaping the institution’s research landscape and nurturing the next generation of thought leaders. With a career spanning decades and a passion for innovation, he has witnessed first-hand the transformative power of education. In this intimate conversation, Prof Oshinubi shares his vision for UNILAG’s future, the challenges and opportunities facing postgraduate education in Nigeria, and the ways in which the university is fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. He spoke with Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF and EMMANUEL CHIDI-MAHA
Overview of the university’s graduate school system
The school of post-graduate studies is the unit of UNILAG that is responsible for the conduct, and administration of post-graduate education; meaning any programme that has to do with post-graduate education; and by the way we run over 900 programmes in the school and we relate with over 100 departments and centres. This is the largest postgraduate school in Nigeria. One of our flagship programmes is the MBA; it’s a school on its own. We call it the MBA School; our MBA comes from the Faculty of Management Sciences and it happened to be the first South of the Sahara.
Also, our LLM which we just started a programme, is an MoU with the University of Dundee. We have a dual LLM whereby the candidates that subscribe to this programme will do one semester in Nigeria and two semesters in Dundee. These students will have an LLM of the University of Lagos and an LLM of the University of Dundee. This collaboration is the first of its kind in West Africa. Another programme we are also running is our MPH (Master of Public Health).
Support for the students and faculty in the areas of research and innovation
This is so important because the scholarship, as well as the research enterprise of any university, largely depends on post-graduate education; the development of any nation will come from post-graduate education because that’s where the research and innovation will most likely come from. We have supported this by having highly qualified post-graduate teachers at all levels. We had the highest number of post-graduates who had their convocation this January (155 PhDs) and we hope to surpass this soon. We have support in terms of scholarship and good supervision; we have good supervisors who have sacrificed a lot despite challenges.
One way the school has helped is by subscribing to grants. We might not be where we want to be but we are definitely on the move; the journey has been slow but steady. We also plan on setting up a doctoral academy to assist our students and students experience centre that will assist our students in accessing research grants – even writing proposals, and writing for grants. These grants require technicality to access them despite being all over the place. We also have the industry advisory board/committee, which will bring the industry and academics under one roof. The model we use here is the one whereby no single course is taught by an academic. Because the outside world will use a lot of our products, the end-users are brought to the table to co-create curricula with us and to even co-teach, and co-supervise students so that they can be employable; so that they can be solution providers to whatever institution they find themselves in.
Other numerous advantages are that it can create internship opportunities for our students to learn a couple of things before eventually graduating and also to ensure employability. About support, we also have hostels for our postgraduate students; accommodation is an important factor that can enhance students’ experience. The school has three dedicated hostels for the PG students. And in terms of health, we have health centres where all students are registered into the system and are catered for.
Inter-disciplinary collaboration and networking
opportunities
The new nomenclature for this century is collaboration, collaboration and collaboration. To that end, the board of PG school has recommended to the University of Lagos management that the PG school become a college. The idea is to have so many faculties under the college. We can have the faculty of multi-disciplinary studies as you have it in so many other universities, solely under the College of Post-graduate Studies, because being collaborative is the best way to succeed. Individuals need to collaborate; faculties need to collaborate; departments need to collaborate; even to access the funding agencies for grants, you alone from the same discipline may need an anatomist in a team, an engineer in a team, a mathematician and so on. And we also encourage the students to work in this regard.
For example, at the PhD level, it is expected that you have two supervisors. However, it is also expected from the students and the supervisory team to engage others in a different field who are not direct supervisors to that particular work; the idea is to enrich the work because the fact is that all problems are multi-faceted; so the solutions will vary. The solutions might not come from one angle; so you need specialists from different disciplines to give their views. One of the things I always encourage is multi-disciplinary research as much as possible, and we have already started in that regard just by making people know that it is almost impossible to research on your own; you need to collaborate with others.
Our post-graduate school is the most organised in Nigeria. Unlike many institutions where PG education concludes within the department, our process is comprehensive and centralised. From the application stage, candidates engage directly with their departments. They draft a proposal which is evaluated for merit. If accepted, candidates spend their first year attending seminars, known in some departments as Practice Seminars. The second year involves additional seminars while the candidate is still considered a departmental student, allowing for supervisor changes if necessary. Towards the end of the second year, the candidate formally applies to the PG school through their supervisor and department. The department then presents the candidate and their thesis title for approval. Unlike most universities, we appoint at least two supervisors per student to leverage collective expertise.
The candidate’s summary thesis is reviewed by our APC, a body of 15 distinguished scholars led by senior professors. Candidates present for 15 to 20 minutes, and a 40-page summary document is submitted. The APC typically identifies necessary corrections. For interdisciplinary issues, we have a joint APC, which combines sciences and arts under the dean’s leadership. Following APC’s approval, the full thesis undergoes a rigorous quality assurance check for plagiarism. Once cleared, it is sent to three assessors: two external and one internal. At least two out of three positive reports are required for the candidate to proceed. Our target is to produce at least 1,000 PhD holders in the next two years. Initially, we had one APC, but due to increasing candidate numbers, now we have two and may further expand. This structured and rigorous process ensures that our postgraduate school maintains high standards and produces graduates of exceptional quality.
Admissions process and top priorities
At UNILAG, the student experience is at the heart of everything we do. We see our students as our products and reflections of ourselves, which drives us to enhance their journey from the pre-application process to graduation. Our robust website is designed to provide comprehensive information to prospective students and visitors, fostering referrals and interest in our programs. The admission process starts with ensuring we have a quality intake. While we don’t expect perfect candidates, we assess applicants based on their potential and capabilities. Our goal is to develop students who can perform excellently with minimal supervision, thus contributing to national development.
For Master’s and PGD programmes, candidates can apply directly through our website at applications.unilag.edu.ng. The requirements are listed, eliminating the need for third-party services. Once applications are submitted, candidates may be invited for an online test or interview. Successful applicants demonstrating the required capacity are then admitted. PhD candidates begin by visiting our website to explore the fields of our professors. They can contact professors directly if their research interests align. Candidates might be invited to prepare and defend a proposal before the department’s PG committee. If the proposal is deemed researchable, the candidate can then apply online. The department processes the application and admission is typically granted within 72 hours. This streamlined process ensures efficiency and maintains high standards. We are committed to maintaining quality and ensuring that all processes are conducted properly. Our goal is to be the best, not just in Africa but globally. By fostering a student-centric environment and rigorous admission standards, we aim to produce graduates who are ready to contribute meaningfully to society.
Our top priority is constructing a dedicated building for the post-graduate school. Despite UNILAG’s long history since 1962, our post-graduate school, now 43 years old, lacks its facility. We aim to build a five to nine-storey building, a one-stop-shop for all postgraduate needs, within the next one to two years. We are actively securing an approved site and collaborating with partners to brand each floor. This project is vital, and we’re dedicating all our resources to ensure its realisation. We plan to establish a doctoral academy to promote the concept of “PhD as an enterprise.” This initiative encourages viewing PhD programmes as beneficial not only for academic advancement but also for generating positive outcomes for students, supervisors and the country. It aims to transform research into a productive enterprise with tangible benefits.
Another key priority is automating the school’s administrative processes. From clearance application, we aim to eliminate paper use and human intervention. Automation will streamline processes such as registration, clearance, and even gown sizing and delivery, enhancing efficiency and reducing graduation time for PhD students. Our IT and process team, established even before our administration began, is spearheading this transformation to create a technologically advanced postgraduate school. We are focusing on enhancing our global visibility and impact through strategic collaborations.
Initially, we approached prestigious institutions such as Harvard and Oxford, who advised us to seek accreditation from the same bodies that accredited them. This approach will ensure our academic and administrative standards are on par with global benchmarks. Strategically, we are shifting our focus to the African corridor, developing peer-to-peer relationships within the region. We have collaborations with great institutions in Nigeria and abroad. These partnerships aim to bolster the learning experience, making it enjoyable and engaging for students. Our ultimate goal is to make UNILAG the most subscribed university in Africa by enhancing the learning experience through these collaborations. By fostering partnerships and achieving accreditation, we aim to provide a world-class education that is both fun and rewarding for our students. In summary, our key priorities include developing a dedicated post-graduate building, establishing a doctoral academy, automating administrative processes, and enhancing global and regional collaborations. These efforts aim to ensure that UNILAG’s post-graduate education meets world standards, fostering an engaging and effective learning environment. We are pursuing specific accreditation for post-graduate education and will review our administration to ensure we meet world standards. We have numerous collaborations and MoUs that are bringing new programmes on board.
Additionally, we facilitate exchanges where our faculty teach at other institutions and vice versa. For example, I couldn’t travel to Croatia due to my schedule, so they came here instead. This is part of our collaborative efforts, including self-evaluation and external evaluations. Many of our centres have support and links with South Africa, and we are part of consortia with Ghana and Rwanda. Strategically, we are focusing more on the African corridor. Previously, our collaborations were primarily with the global north. We are now developing peer-to-peer relationships within Africa. From Nigeria, we have collaborations between UNILAG and the University of Ibadan and Afritech is also emerging with new initiatives.
