1. Postgraduate Students Quality Researches: Challenges and the Way Forward
Dr.Mrs Binta Iliyasu
One-day Workshop on “Capacity Building for Better Postgraduate Output”, University of Maiduguri Postgraduate School, 2nd May, 2019

2. Postgraduate research in Nigeria
PG programme is a platform for the Development of research capacity, and building of skills, harvesting of ingenuous ideas and creativity;
It catalyzes developments and prosperity in the education sector in this case - the Nigerian Society
The outcome is to produce lecturers and workers that will occupy high ranking positions in both the public and private sectors;

3. Postgraduate research in Nigeria contd.
The objective is to address complex issues of life and existence
- economic development
Based on the challenges experienced thus far ‘Few or none desire to pursue PG research in Nigeria’. - ‘’If one is to conduct PG without tears, he should get out of the country’’
Why?

4. Table of Content
Challenges of PG student’s Quality Research
Way forward
The AWARD Model

5. Challenges
Institution-related (systemic problems)
Supervisor-related
Student-related (personal/psychological problems)

6. Institution-related challenges
Lack of appropriate attention/ interest from government & public despite increase and growth in PG enrolment
Lack of funding/Inadequate resources

7. Institution-related challenges contd.
Inadequate institutional infrastructure & research materials (facilities, equipment & - workshops, libraries, ICT, accommodation etc
Incessant closure of universities, no value placed on time!
Shortage of qualified supervisors/academic staff too few & overburdened
Existing limited facilities overstretched

8. Supervisor-related challenges
Inexperience
Too busy (unnecessary administrative assignments, heavy teaching loads, other distractions etc)
Poor supervision (no guidelines, schedules for meeting, record of discussions or mechanism for redress)
Conflicting views within supervisory team
Biased mindset (lack of interest)

9. Student-related challenges
Inexperience (research design, data collection, & processing, writing of research report etc)
Lack of sponsorship/financial support
Lack of motivation
Inability to balance between studies, job and/or family

10. Student-related challenges contd.
Poor quality of students
More time spent on data collection
Too many objectives to cover

11. ‘’Most of the country’s research is only for promotion and not for addressing societal ills’’ Executive secretary , TETfund

12. Way forward
Provision of adequate research funding (research to align with national/international development goals attracts funding!)
Capacity building w/shops (Research proposal writing, presentation skills, responsible conduct of research, techniques in basic & applied research etc)
Provision of grants, scholarships

13. Way forward contd.
Standard & modern facilities and equipment (laboratories, libraries, workshops) with routine services & maintenances
Develop supervision guidelines
M & E (regular reporting of research progress etc)
supervisors be given less teaching loads/other responsibilities

14. Way forward contd. Mentoring Stable university calendar
The world – a global village
Collaboration
Synergy
Networking
Linkages
To achieve quality research and excellence eg. S/African Science Forum

15. The AWARD Model Mentorship package (goal setting/purpose road map
Training in science skills (Research proposal, science writing, communication & presentation skills and e-resources etc)
Advance science attachment in state-of-the-art centres of excellence
Progress monitoring (M&E)

16. The AWARD Model contd. Professional Association membership support
Development of partnerships, linkages and collaboration through sponsorship to International conferences, workshops
Networking (NiWARD, GaWARD, UGAWARD, Ke-AWARD etc)

17. Acknowledgement

18. listening!
Thanks
for