Prof. Ogundipe Calls for Stronger Governance to Tackle Academic Integrity Challenges at 68th Edition of CPDPGCS

The Chairman, Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has emphasized that academic integrity is an institutional responsibility that must be supported by strong governance.

Delivering his keynote address during the 68th Regular Meeting of the Committee of Provosts and Deans of Postgraduate Colleges and Schools (CPDPGCS) held at Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State on Monday, November 2, 2026, Prof. Ogundipe noted that postgraduate schools in Nigeria must be supported with practical methods and a collective call to action to uphold integrity.

The meeting, which had in attendance university administrators, provosts, postgraduate deans and other academic stakeholders from across the country, was themed, “Rebuilding the Foundation: Repositioning Postgraduate Education for Quality, Integrity and Global Competitiveness in Nigerian Universities.”

Prof. Ogundipe identified major challenges facing academic integrity to include inadequate research funding, lack of research tools, pressure to cut corners, limited ethics training, and governance weaknesses.

According to the former Vice-Chancellor, fewer than 30% of students have received ethics training, while limited access to plagiarism detection software has resulted in poor research output. He also highlighted plagiarism and the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research, as well as overstretched supervision that allows lapses in research.

He called for a shift from punishment to prevention, anchored on governance, technology, supervision, and culture. He proposed a three-pillar framework for academic integrity:
1. Governance and accountability
2. Responsible use of technology
3. Culture and quality supervision

He stressed the need for mentorship, training, thorough supervision, and an institutional AI policy, adding that supervisors must work on research grants and invest in their PhD students.

“When you invest in your PhD students, you will enjoy the benefits. Treat them as one of your children,” he said.

He further called for alignment with national standards and guidelines, urging schools to apply for research grants to address funding constraints. He also advocated for the inclusion of postgraduate students in the NELFUND scheme and noted the importance of TETFund research funding.

Prof. Ogundipe, who has over 160 publications to his credit.

The Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Professor Shadrach Olufemi Akindele, while welcoming the participants, described postgraduate education as a major driver of knowledge generation, innovation and the development of skilled human resources.

He urged universities to measure postgraduate success through research quality and societal impact rather than enrolment figures alone.

“Across the world, postgraduate education remains the engine room for knowledge generation, innovation, research excellence, and the development of high-level human capital,” Akindele said.

Akindele also highlighted the university’s research achievements, including its work through the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), and called for stronger collaboration among Nigerian universities.

He said the institution had secured international research and scholarship support to advance postgraduate training and scientific research. He further recalled the development of diagnostic tools used during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his address, the Chairman of the Committee of Provosts and Deans of Postgraduate Colleges and Schools in Nigerian Universities, Professor Victor Samson Dunga, called for increased investment in postgraduate education, improved research funding and greater administrative autonomy for postgraduate colleges.

He warned that inadequate investment could force the country to depend on foreign institutions for research solutions and highly skilled experts.

“A country that under-invests in postgraduate education will sooner or later import solutions, ideas, and experts,” Dunga said.

Dunga also identified plagiarism, ghostwriting, data fabrication, predatory publishing and the commercialisation of supervision and examinations as threats to the credibility of Nigerian university degrees.

He called on government agencies, including the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), to expand research support for postgraduate students.

Message to Students

“Do not take shortcuts. The degree you earn honestly will carry you further than any you could acquire otherwise,” he advised.