Best PhD Thesis Winner Says Award Calls for More Service

The winner of the 2023 Prof. Rahamon Bello Best PhD Thesis in African Studies, Dr. Muhammad Ribadu, has described the award as a call to more work for the development of humanity and the country.

Ribadu stated this at the recent award ceremony organised by the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies (IADS), University of Lagos.

Ribadu, a lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, obtained his PhD at the University of Ibadan. He was rewarded with $1000, a plaque and a certificate for clinching the first position.

Eighteen entries came in for this year’s edition of the competition, the fourth in the series, from various universities in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.

His award-winning thesis, ‘The Social Context of Gentrification in Lagos State’ PhD (January 2023) Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan.

Ribadu noted that it felt good to be so recognised locally, adding that the award motivated him to give his best in teaching and conducting more research.

“For me, this thesis is being celebrated because of the quality of research that went into it. It is something that will make me better and encourage the younger ones, especially my students, to emulate and even do better,” he said.

Prof. Rahamon Bello, former UNILAG Vice-Chancellor, in whose honour the award was instituted, described the IADS as one of the best things to have happened to the institution in terms of research activities and funding and reaching out to the world, in terms of advocacy.

“I know that the current winner will go places. In Nigeria, we don’t seem to trust in ourselves. For someone to come from the North to do his research down here in the South sends a lot of signals about who we are as a people,” Bello stressed.

The institute’s director, Prof. Muyiwa Falaiye, decried the dearth of staff, describing it as a major setback.

“For us here, the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. We have too many projects we are doing but don’t have enough staff,” Falaiye stated. “The university is not recruiting, and lecturers are leaving in droves.”

UNILAG’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, called for urgent steps to curb the ‘japa’ syndrome, pointing out that lecturers are leaving the system in their numbers is not unexpected because their pay package is poor, just as the recognition.

“The government knows, and I am sure it is also doing all within its power to assist us in getting more lecturers. But you know, you will not keep them if you don’t change the condition of service,” she stated.