The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Adamu Abubakar Dabban, has urged postgraduate students of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to look beyond earning academic degrees and focus their research on solving Nigeria’s developmental challenges.
Dabban gave the charge at the university’s 2025/2026 Postgraduate Matriculation Ceremony, where he encouraged newly admitted students to see postgraduate education as an opportunity to generate knowledge, drive innovation and produce practical solutions.
He challenged the students to continually ask themselves what problems their research would solve, particularly in areas critical to Nigeria’s development.
Dabban identified food security, climate change, agricultural technology, biotechnology, value addition and sustainable development as sectors requiring stronger research and innovation.
He also called for closer collaboration among universities, research institutes, government agencies and the private sector, saying complex national challenges require cooperation across institutions and disciplines.
According to him, the value of postgraduate education should ultimately be reflected in the ideas generated, innovations developed and lives improved, rather than only in the academic titles earned.
He encouraged the students to maximise ABU’s research facilities and academic environment while maintaining discipline, integrity and curiosity throughout their programmes.
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