Bingham University’s 3rd Postgraduate Workshop series was held recently at Karu, Campus  as the university celebrates two decades of academic excellence under the theme: “Innovative Research for Sustainable Development.”

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Haruna Kuje Ayuba, reiterated the university’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation, sustainability, and ethical research practices. He reflected on the university's growth since its establishment in 2005 and noted that, the journey has been marked by resilience, growth, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge that addresses the numerous challenges facing the society.

Professor Ayuba emphasized the importance of the workshop theme, outlining key objectives of Keeping researchers abreast of the latest trends and methodologies; Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration for holistic solutions; Strengthening research capacity and creativity; Tackling real-world sustainability challenges; Building meaningful industry and policy-research linkages; and contributing to national and global development goals.

The Vice Chancellor condemned unethical practices within postgraduate research supervision, calling for transparency and accountability.

In his remarks, Dean of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Okoli J. Bamidele noted the university’s humble beginnings and celebrated its growth into a top-tier private university with over 9,000 students and more than 80 academic programs.

He noted that the University ‘s School of Postgraduate Studies has become a true hub for advanced learning and research, through the school’s growing academic influence both nationally and globally.

Prof. Okoli noted the university’s collaborations with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Glasgow, and the Jennifer Etuh Foundation and grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, International Brain Research Organization, and International Foundation for Science (Sweden) which have further affirmed Bingham’s research quality.

The Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies, Federal University Lafia, Prof. Victor S. Dugga in his key note address titled “Innovative Research for Sustainable Development,”

challenged African universities to take the centre stage in transforming the continent through locally relevant, trans-disciplinary innovation. 

Prof. Dugga highlighted  the stark contrasts that define the African continent.  He noted that Africa still contributes only 2% to the global GDP and harbours the highest global rates of extreme poverty, with Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo leading.

“Africa is the world’s richest poor continent,” Prof. Dugga remarked, stressing the disconnect between resource wealth and socioeconomic outcomes, which are often exacerbated by weak governance, conflict, and external exploitation.

He emphasized the transformative role universities must play, not just as centers of learning, but as epicenters of innovation, social change, and development. “African universities must become places where solutions are not only discovered but also designed with our realities in mind,” he said.

He called for strategic, frugal, and community-driven innovation, where research is not a theoretical exercise, but a tool for tangible impact aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and African Union Agenda 2063.  

Despite the potential, significant barriers still remain, he noted that Inadequate funding, Poor infrastructure, Weak academia-industry collaboration, Brain drain to Western institutions were litigating against development in Africa. Prof. Dugga also pointed out the Nigerian-specific imperative noting that no development can be sustained without peace and security.

Prof. Dugga called for a paradigm shift in how African institutions define and pursue development. Relying on the same external-driven models will not yield different results.  “We can't solve our problems with the same kind of thinking that created them,” he reiterated.

 Prof. Dugga asserted that innovative research is not an aspiration but a necessity for Africa. With its youthful population, rich resources, and growing academic ecosystem, Africa holds the keys to shaping a new global narrative on inclusive and sustainable development.

The workshop was widely attended with participants from the academia, postgraduate students as well as the industry  as the  University looks forward to national and  sustainable development through research and innovation. 

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Office of the Vice-Chancellor 

Bingham University