Two candidates in the AUN Graduate School have successfully defended their doctoral dissertations. Ibrahim Inuwa's successful viva voce was on February 8, 2022, while Abdulrashid Iliya's was on March 30.
Dean of Graduate School and Research, Professor Jacob Udoh-Udoh Jacob, has promised to deliver more successful theses defense in the coming months.
Ibrahim Inuwa’s doctorate is in Information Systems. His dissertation topic was 'Mechanisms Fostering the Misuse of Information Systems for Corrupt Practices in the Nigerian Public Sector,' which "explored the ICTs that contribute to corruption in Nigeria's public sector, drawing on case studies based on investigations undertaken by the EFCC into public service corruption. The work shows how corrupt government functionaries can abuse ICTs for corrupt practices and how they can be checked. It advances innovative solutions that can help anti-corruption agencies, policymakers, and legislators checkmate corrupt state capture of ICTs."
Inuwa was supervised by SITC faculty member Dr. Chidi Ononiwu who also chairs the Information Systems (IS) Supervision Committee; Dr. Ahmad Maidamisa, and Dr. Samuel Utulu provided support. Professor Jacob noted that all three external examiners praised the "exceedingly high quality" of Inuwa's dissertation.
On March 30, 2022, Abdulrashid Iliya, also in Information Systems, successfully defended the topic: 'Mobile Phone Use Among People with Disabilities in Adamawa State, Nigeria – Perspective from Critical Realist Single Case Study.’
Iliya's study "explored how persons with disabilities (PWDs) use mobile phones to negotiate their vulnerability and resilience in contemporary society and within a highly ambiguous socio-cultural context where disability is often perceived as a punishment from God. His work has many important implications for contemporary understanding of the gaps in the mobile phone user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design for PWDs." He was supervised by Professor Muhammadou Kah, Dr. Rakshit Sandip (co-supervisors), and Dr. Samuel Utulu.
After their successful viva voce, their PhD award will be confirmed by the senate on the recommendation of the AUN Doctoral Dissertation Board.
On the successful theses defense, which has buoyed up spirits in the Graduate School, Professor Jacob said:
The AUN Graduate School's vision is to deliver research with the highest possible impact on our society and the human condition, particularly in information technology, business, entrepreneurship, and applied development. Both studies are incredibly significant in that regard.
We want our students to succeed. So our approach is highly student-centered. We are very intentional and strategic with the support we provide. We know new graduate students' limitations, considering their undergraduate backgrounds. So we provide a bouquet of support to strengthen their capabilities in critical areas: writing, research - both quantitative and qualitative. The AUN Writing Center serves both undergraduate and graduate students. A weekly research seminar helps strengthen the research skills of all graduate students. Our well-equipped digital library provides modern and twenty-four-hour access to a range of academic resources and titles across disciplines. Our graduate student lounges provide conducive spaces for personal and group study. We now have a Graduate Support Coordinator and a Research Support Officer who work closely with graduate students to support their academic development. We have also strengthened our doctoral supervision.
Finally, we have enjoyed massive support from the University's senior management. The President is deeply committed to graduate study and research. There will be even more rapid progress in the coming months and years.