By Nkechi Eze
The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), TPL Dr. Adamu Abubakar Dabban, has challenged newly admitted postgraduate students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, to move beyond earning academic degrees and use their research to develop practical solutions to Nigeria’s developmental challenges.
According to an official statement by the Public Relations Officer to the Executive Secretary, ARCN, Khadijat O. Ameen, Dabban gave the charge in his goodwill message at ABU’s 2025/2026 Postgraduate Matriculation Ceremony held on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
Dabban urged the students to view their admission not merely as a personal academic achievement but as an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to national development.
He challenged them to continually ask themselves: “What problem will my research solve?”
The ARCN Executive Secretary said Nigeria needed researchers capable of transforming ideas into innovations, discoveries into practical solutions and academic knowledge into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.
He identified food security, climate change, agricultural technology, biotechnology, value addition and sustainable development as areas requiring innovative research.
“Do not pursue your postgraduate programme solely for the certificate. Pursue knowledge, pursue innovation and, above all, pursue solutions that can improve the lives of our people,” Dabban said.
He also called for stronger collaboration among universities, research institutes, government agencies and the private sector, stressing that Nigeria’s complex developmental challenges require multidisciplinary and institutional partnerships.
Dabban encouraged the students to maximise ABU’s academic environment, research facilities and intellectual community while maintaining discipline, integrity, curiosity and academic excellence.
According to him, the true value of postgraduate education should ultimately be measured by the ideas generated, lives transformed and national problems solved, rather than the academic titles attached to graduates’ names.
“Let your research produce knowledge. Let your knowledge produce innovation. And let your innovation produce solutions for Nigeria,” he said.
Dabban congratulated the matriculating students and wished them a successful and impactful academic journey.
