ABU VC: Academic Worth Now Measured by Real-World Application, Not Just Publications
ABU VC: Academic Worth Now Measured by Real-World Application, Not Just Publications
UmarFarouk123 
Professor Adamu Ahmed, Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), has declared that modern universities must move beyond the traditional "publish or perish" culture toward a model centered on research commercialization and societal impact.
Speaking on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, during the inauguration of a high-powered committee tasked with developing a blueprint for research commercialization and knowledge transfer, Prof. Ahmed asserted that institutions are no longer judged solely by academic output. Instead, their value is increasingly defined by how effectively they apply, commercialize, and translate research into tangible benefits.
The Vice-Chancellor emphasized that commercialization is a "higher expression" of scholarship rather than a distraction from it. He noted that while ABU has a distinguished history of training skilled manpower, the institution must now serve as a direct engine for innovation and economic transformation.
"Our research must begin to generate income for our researchers, for the university, and for the wider society," Prof. Ahmed stated. He identified the committee's primary role as helping the university cross the "valley of death"—the difficult gap between the initial invention of a product and its adoption by the marketplace.
The newly inaugurated committee is chaired by Prof. Mohammed Faguji Ishiyaku, a renowned breeder and former Executive Director of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR). Their mandate includes:
Developing a practical framework for commercializing university patents.
Establishing pathways for industry collaborations, licensing, and public-private partnerships.
Recommending institutional structures, such as a startup incubation center or a technology transfer office.
In his acceptance speech, Prof. Ishiyaku expressed the committee's commitment to actualizing this vision, describing the assignment as a critical "call to service" for the university's future development.
