Wow at Last: The Dilemma of Doctoral Degree Completion in Nigeria

Essay from the year 2022 in the subject Pedagogy - School System, Educational and School Politics, , language: English, abstract: The paper examines the dilemma of doctoral degree completion in Nigeria. The paper describes the controversies surrounding the delay in the completion time of doctoral degree programs in Nigeria. It discussed federal and state policies, regular strikes, university management decisions, host departments and faculties decisions, admission policies, corruption, supervision, student attitude, and perception as factors bedeviling doctoral degree completion in Nigeria. The paper therefore recommends measures that tend to speed up the completion time of doctoral degree programs in Nigeria.

BIOGRAPHY Dr. Timothy Oziegbe Okpeku was born in Okokomoiko, Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State. He started his primary education at Okhide Primary School Uzebba where he obtained his primary school leaving certificate and proceeded to Uzebba Grammar School for his secondary education where he obtained his National Examination Council (NECO) certificate. He received his Bachelor's degree from Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Nigeria. He proceeded to the University of Benin where he obtained his Master's degree. He thereafter moved to his Alma Mata where he received his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. As a student, he was a class prefect at Uzebba Grammar School, Uzebba-Iuleha, and later a class representative at the University of Benin. His hands-on research and pedagogical experience earned him the first graduate of his department's post-graduate degree program. He started his career as a teacher. Thereafter he joined the Edo State government public service as an industry officer at the Edo State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Benin City, Nigeria. Due to his passion for Nigeria's education system, education policies and programs, curriculum reform, education equity, and student achievement gap, he was among the six post-doctoral scholars selected in Africa by the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) as African visiting scholars to the Republic of China (Taiwan). A transnational task that took him to the Republic of China (Taiwan) for one year (January-December, 2022). While in Taiwan, he was assigned to the National Taichung University of Education, to examine the strategic aspects of the Taiwanese educational system and lessons for Nigeria. His research interests cut across school politics, pedagogy, didactic, e-learning, education psychology, education leadership, education sociology, school system, education policy, curriculum design, educational equity, program evaluation, achievement gap, instructional technology, comparative education, vocational, technical education, and training. He has recently published 17 academic papers, 7 commentaries, 12 contributed postgraduate thesis/dissertations, and 5 academic seminar papers. Dr. Timothy O. Okpeku is a recipient of the Taiwan Fellowship Award.