The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, has stated that the University of Ibadan, as Nigeria’s premier university, has a sacred duty of moulding solution-finders, thought leaders, and societal transformers, a duty that transcends the mere dissemination of knowledge.
Professor Adebowale made this statement at the opening of a One-Day Virtual Workshop on Academic Writing and Publishing organised for over 100 participants who joined virtually from Nigeria, Kenya, and beyond to improve the capacity of early career academic staff to engage in high-quality research and to disseminate their findings through reputable scholarly publications.
According to the VC, the
workshop was, therefore, a strategic intervention aimed at reshaping the mindset of academics by redirecting attention to the core responsibility of knowledge creation and impactful publication.
Facilitated by Professor Mellitus Nyongesa Wanyama, the workshop was initiated by Professor Oluyemisi A. Bamgbose, SAN, former Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Innovation, and Strategic Partnerships of UI who is currently on sabbatical at Kabarak University.
Professor Adebowale said that the programme marked another significant milestone in the deepening academic ties between the University of Ibadan, and Kabarak University in Kenya.
He commended Professor Oluyemisi Bamgbose, SAN, for her dedication and drive which have been instrumental in fostering this knowledge exchange, saying that she remains a worthy ambassador of the University of Ibadan.
He also appreciated Professor Wanyama, a full Professor of Music specialising in African Ethnomusicology and African Musicology at Kabarak University for his exceptional skills as a scholar, researcher, and author which are well-documented with his portfolio of six books, eighteen book chapters, and fifty journal articles, stating that Professor Wanyama embodies the very standards of academic rigour and output to cultivate.
He noted that the expertise of the facilitator will be invaluable in guiding the academic staff through the intricacies of academic writing and the publishing process.
Professor Adebowale described the workshop as more than a training session; it is a testament to the power of collaboration adding that the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the University of Ibadan and Kabarak University was bearing fruit, bringing together scholars across borders to build capacity.
He said that it demonstrated a commitment to providing staff with opportunities for training and professional development, ensuring that they are equipped with the tools needed to excel in their roles.
He urged the participants to engage actively, ask questions, and build networks that will sustain their research endeavours.
In a goodwill message, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Administration, Professor Peter O. Olapegba, FNPA, C.Psych, FSSAN, fspsp, noted that the workshop provided a valuable platform for emerging scholars to strengthen their academic writing skills, gain insights into the publishing process, and enhance their capacity to contribute meaningfully to the global body of knowledge.
He observed that the journey from research conception to publication can be both challenging and rewarding, saying that initiatives such as this play a crucial role in equipping researchers with the knowledge, tools, and confidence needed to navigate that journey successfully.
He commended the organizers for their commitment to fostering research excellence and supporting the professional development of early career researchers.
He encouraged all participants to actively engage in the discussions, share experiences, ask questions, and make the most of the expertise that will be available throughout the workshop adding that the knowledge and skills acquired will contribute significantly to their future scholarly endeavors and research impact.
The Initiator, Professor Oluyemisi Bamgbose, SAN, said the workshop was organised because academic research does not end when discoveries are made, rather, the knowledge generated must be communicated, shared, debated and, ultimately, published if it is to contribute meaningfully to scholarship and society.
She noted that academic writing and publishing are, therefore, essential skills for every researcher, particularly those at the early stages of their careers.
She stated that the journey from an interesting research idea to a well-written and publishable article can sometimes appear daunting to early career researchers.
Professor Bamgbose said that usually there are questions about how to structure a paper, select an appropriate journal, respond to reviewers, avoid common publishing pitfalls, and meet the standards of reputable journals.
According to her, these are skills that can be learned and strengthened through practice, mentorship and collaboration saying that she could not allow the opportunity to slip when Professor Wanyama agreed to teach the skills pro bono.
She, therefore, encouraged the participants to approach the workshop not merely as an opportunity to learn how to write an academic article, but as an opportunity to develop their identity as researchers and scholars.
She urged them not to be discouraged by rejection, saying that a rejected manuscript is not necessarily a failed research project but sometimes, it is simply an invitation to improve the work, strengthen the argument and try again.
She told the participants to above all, remember that good academic writing is not about using complicated language; it is about communicating important ideas clearly, logically and convincingly.
The facilitator, Professor Mellitus Nyongesa Wanyama is a Kenyan and a distinguished international scholar of repute, educator, and music practitioner, specialising in ethnomusicology, musicology, and African musicology.
He is a full Professor of Music at Kabarak University in Nakuru, Kenya, where he has provided academic leadership and advanced teaching, research, academic writing and cultural preservation. He holds a doctorate in ethnomusicology from the University of Pretoria, South Africa and has made sustained contributions to music education and scholarship in Kenya and beyond.
He is the founder of Utafiti Foundation Research and Documentation Centre and the Chief Editor at Utafiti Academic Press – a leading Publishing House in Africa.
He took participants through:
* Fundamentals of Academic Writing and Publishing for Early Career Preparedness and Anchorage for Postgraduate Students in Africa: Do’s and Don’t’s
* Foundations of Academic Writing
* Relationship between Academic Writing and Publishing.
There was an interactive segment, and a participants-led case study to discuss From Theory to Practice.
The Director of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, University of Ibadan, Professor Adesola Odole stated that the workshop was a reminder of a fundamental truth: research that is not communicated effectively cannot achieve its full scholarly or societal impact.
She said that academic writing is not merely a requirement for obtaining degrees, securing promotion, or achieving publication. It is one of the principal ways through which scholars participate in the creation, interrogation, preservation and dissemination of knowledge.
Professor Odole noted that the workshop enabled participants to confront some of the realities that shape academic publishing in Africa such as limited research funding, high publication charges, digital inequalities, inadequate representation in global indexing systems, predatory publishing, language barriers, weak mentorship structures, inequitable international collaborations, and the continuing challenge of ensuring that African scholarship is visible, respected and appropriately represented within global knowledge systems.
She, therefore encouraged participants, postgraduate students and early-career researchers to start writing early, write consistently, seek feedback, learn from rejection, and never underestimate the value of their research saying that a strong academic writer is not created in a day and academic writing is a craft developed through practice, reflection, revision and mentorship.
She urged experienced scholars to become intentional mentors, create environments in which emerging scholars can learn how to formulate research questions, develop arguments, write manuscripts, respond to reviews, select appropriate journals and navigate the increasingly complex publishing landscape.
She charged researchers to embrace a more collaborative and inclusive scholarly culture—one in which African researchers are not merely consumers of knowledge generated elsewhere, but confident producers, custodians and global disseminators of knowledge rooted in the African contexts and relevant to African communities.
She advised scholars to aspire not simply to publish more, but to publish better, publish ethically, publish meaningfully, and publish knowledge that matters.
She reiterated the commitment of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, to supporting a culture in which teaching, learning, research, academic writing and scholarly communication continuously reinforce one another.
