The Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Prof. Shadrach Akindele, has urged postgraduate students and researchers to embrace artificial intelligence while ensuring that its use in academic research remains ethical and responsible.
Akindele gave the charge on Wednesday during the opening session of the university’s 2026 Postgraduate Biennial Conference, held in Ede, under the theme, “AI and Sustainable Development: Collaborative Solutions for Global Challenges.”
The Vice-Chancellor said artificial intelligence had become an established part of modern academic and professional life, making it necessary for researchers to understand the technology, adapt to its growing applications and use it responsibly.
He noted that postgraduate students would increasingly rely on AI tools in their research, but stressed that technological convenience should not override established standards of research ethics and academic integrity.
Akindele also challenged universities to make research more responsive to Nigeria’s development needs, arguing that academic work should not end with the publication of journal articles.
According to him, universities have a responsibility to ask difficult questions, challenge existing assumptions and develop practical solutions that can influence government policy, industry and communities.
He identified insecurity, energy shortages and environmental degradation among the pressing challenges requiring sustained research attention in Nigeria. He therefore called on scholars to produce research capable of generating policies, innovations and interventions that can contribute to solving such problems.
The Vice-Chancellor further stressed the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainable development, noting that no single academic discipline or institution possesses all the expertise required to address complex societal challenges.
He said stronger cooperation among researchers from different fields would be necessary to develop effective solutions, particularly as artificial intelligence increasingly cuts across disciplines.
The keynote speaker, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, represented at the event by Prof. Muyiwa Omobowale, also called for greater adoption of artificial intelligence in Nigeria.
Omobowale, however, emphasised that the country must develop and provide access to relevant local data if AI is to produce solutions that effectively reflect Nigerian realities while remaining globally competitive.
He said postgraduate students and researchers had an important role to play in developing AI solutions capable of addressing the country’s developmental needs.
He also identified collaboration among universities, students, government and the private sector as essential to building sustainable AI systems, alongside policies that would ensure the technology is deployed ethically and responsibly.
The conference consequently placed postgraduate research at the centre of discussions on how Nigeria can harness emerging technologies for development while maintaining academic and ethical standards.
The emphasis on ethical AI use also reflects the growing need for universities to establish clear expectations around how researchers use AI for tasks such as data analysis, literature exploration, writing assistance and other research processes.
For Nigerian higher education, the discussions reinforce the need to balance technological adoption with originality, accountability, credible data and responsible scholarship.
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in academic research, the challenge for universities will be not only to teach students how to use the technology, but also to ensure that its application strengthens rather than undermines the quality and integrity of research.
The conference therefore highlighted a broader role for Nigerian universities: preparing researchers who can use emerging technologies responsibly while producing knowledge that translates into practical solutions for society.
