Prof. Olalekan Asikhia, the Vice-Chancellor of Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, recently delivered the Hooding Lecture for the graduating postgraduate students of Covenant University, Ota, where he presented a compelling intellectual discourse titled “The Nexus of Research Project: Postgraduate Scholarship in the AI Age.”
In a lecture that combined depth, vision, and scholarly grace, Prof. Asikhia explored the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in redefining research, supervision, and academic identity.
He urged universities across Nigeria to embrace AI not as a threat but as a partner in advancing scholarship and innovation.
Speaking before an audience of distinguished academics, postgraduate students, and industry leaders, the renowned scholar emphasised the need for a deliberate, ethical, and human-centered approach to AI integration in postgraduate education.
The Guest Lecturer, who earlier in his career had a stint at Covenant University, warned that while AI enhances productivity and accessibility, uncritical dependence on it could erode critical thinking and scholarly authenticity.
“Artificial Intelligence should not replace human intellect but amplify it,” Asikhia stated.
“Our task is to construct a synergistic model that leverages AI’s power while safeguarding the timeless principles of originality, integrity, and authentic scholarship.”
Renowned for his intellectual versatility, administrative ingenuity, and visionary leadership, Prof Asikhia outlined a four-pillar framework for responsible AI adoption in academia.
These include redefining research processes through a “human-in-the-loop” model, evolving pedagogy and supervision for AI literacy, nurturing the scholar’s ethical and psychological resilience, and instituting comprehensive policy frameworks within universities.
In his address, the Caleb University helmsman highlighted that the integration of AI into postgraduate research marks a critical juncture for higher education, one that demands foresight, collaboration, and ethical clarity.
He further called for inter-university cooperation, noting that the future of knowledge production in Nigeria depends on trust, synergy, and shared innovation among private institutions.
“The confidence and camaraderie among Nigeria’s private universities demonstrate that we are not in competition but in partnership for national development,” he noted.
“Caleb and Covenant Universities stand as twin pillars of intellectual excellence; committed to shaping scholars who will redefine Africa’s place in the knowledge economy.”
The lecture drew commendation from Covenant University’s leadership and the academic community, who described Prof. Asikhia’s presentation, “A masterclass in visionary scholarship and a call to ethical transformation.”
During the event, Covenant University Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Timothy Anake, delivered an inspiring address on the essence of time, emphasizing that time defines every aspect of human existence.
He noted that while people go about their daily lives, time keeps running, shaping both the present and the future.
According to him, whatever anyone becomes is determined within the space of time, just as the graduating postgraduate students have wisely invested theirs.
In his remarks, the Dean of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Conrad Omonhinmin, commended the insightful lecture by the Caleb University Vice-Chancellor, noting that Prof. Asikhia had illuminated how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could enhance postgraduate research and assessment.
He added that beyond AI, Spiritual Intelligence (SI) remains crucial, as it determines the extent of one’s success or failure in life.
Echoing the words of the University Chancellor, he quoted, “If someone fails in life, it is the person’s fault; and if the person succeeds, it is also the person’s fault.”
Olawale Adekoya, Information, Media and Publication Specialist at Caleb University, in a press statement, described the moment as “an honour of distinction and pride.”
