1. Nigeria Professor/Lecturers are Wicked
Please if you are a lecturer here, don't be offended but the bad egg are more than the good eggs. Take for example in the school I graduated from (name withheld) a particular lecturer will come to the class with this abnormal and infuriating quote "Nobody can have A's in my course because A" belong to God, B" for extra-ordinary student and C" for brilliant student". Yes! Infact the highest in the class is usually "46, 47 or sometimes "50", he made everyone look dull and silly. I took a bold step one day to challenge him which was later a detriment to my final result "he said when he was in school, the lecturer that thought him that course Never give anybody A". Sorry I digress from the main topic but that is the major problem of Phd in Nigeria. A professor will tell you that before he can get to the level he his now, he know what he pass through, so "a reprisal attack". The truth is, if I get Phd through pain and stress and someone want to get same through me easily, I remember the past and do same to him/her(that is the way we think). I remember one of my favourite lecturer back then in school, after spending 2years studying this unfinished Phd, he was frustrated out after spending money, I ask him what happen "he said he was surprise that after spending energy on his thesis, his supervisor said he cannot find is research work, he should start all over. All over, lol..after 2years..with just 1year is almost through now in australia
2. Professors will explore you
Quote me wrong if you did not face same at your undergraduate level. The high rate of corruption in Nigeria has affected every affairs of the nation including our university system, now adays you can be sleeping at home and be passing your exam if you have what my igbo brother will call "ego". I remember a lecturer too from another school, he said this particular supervisor has been procrastinating the correction of his research work, this very day he thought to himself with frustration "what on earth can I do?" And that Nigeria sense came back to him, he went aftermath to change the four tyre of the supervisor's car including the fueling. He continue by saying "My brother, after doing this, the supervisor look at me on my face and say "you have not been serious with your thesis, have not been seeing you! Let me see what you have done so far. The name of that university is in Lagos (I didn't mention any name now).
3. Phd involves money
Aside the corruption aspect, Phd as to do with an indepth knowledge of a particular problem you are trying to solve. Some research thesis might involves you traveling from state to state, out of the country and do forth, this depend on the nature of the research though, and most of this research work are exploratory in nature. Another fact is that before you can start any Phd work you must atleast publish 3 conference paper in a reputable country and publisher. I remember receiving a mail some month ago inviting me for a conference in paris, that is, I should submit my research work for a conference paper. I try and check the authencity of the mail and confirm it to be genuine but attached to the mail is a pdf file showing the break down in payment " 300 pounds(without accomodation), 450 pounds( with accomodation), if I cannot come due to transportation but still submit my paper(250 pounds). Though some will say is cheap but how about some that cannot afford the money, that is why most P.hd programme in advanced countries are based on scholarship.
4. The assessment of Phd thesis is a large and serious undertaking, it requires a substantial period of uninterrupted time
Our examiner, supervisor too are human not machine, they are busy people with many calls in their time and unforeseen circumstances which may arise in their lives which may delay their assessment and submission of report within the usual time frame
5. I too know syndrome/ Not taking correction
This stuffs affect me a lot when I was in school, no lecturer or supervisor or professor will ever accept that they are wrong especially from those they are supervising or teaching. P.hd in Nigeria is regarding as "I'm an expert in my field" which mean you are to learn from them and not to correct them, even though you are so sure that you are very crystal correct, you need to pretend that you are massively wrong if you want to graduate or get your thesis approved or assessed. Majority of us may this argue this point but I think is also a key factor in Nigeria
6. Spiritual connection
Like it or not it is one of the disease in Nigeria. Let me give you an example " I was listening to a tape by pastor olukoya( a respected man of God, mountain of fire) and he gave an example of a man that has been writing a professional exam for more than 30 years but to no avail, each time he try, something will happen, the invigilator coming might have an accident, a crisis might occur which will make the paper impossible to write(postponed) meanwhile affecting others. When he examine himself he went abroad to write the exam, that same problem keep occurring until when he seek spiritual help and discover that is family is behind him. Some of us are coming from a polygamous family where you are the only one thriving among others such can bring a discord and you discover that a Phd of 2yrs is taking you 25years.
7. Jealousy
This apply to those in the academics already(I mean lecturer). Take for example the polytechnic where I graduated. Every other lecturers in that department have only masters degree while there is this particular one running his Phd programme. This create a serious hatred and backbitting that you will even see in the open, some will even come to the class telling everyone without no shame that "look at him, he is bragging with ego because his doing Phd and talking to his superiors with no respect". My brethren this lecturer never complete that P.hd, they even went ahead to report him for not attending his class for his own personal interest. Let me give you another example, a particular lecturer in a university in the north was also facing similar problem to the extend that no nigeria university want to accept him for Phd because his colleague have blackmail him. He took a wise decision, without informing anybody in the department, he applied in a university in malaysia, the malaysian professor was so surprise that a man they have been reading his journal, textbook never even have a Phd, they told him not to worry that he will give him the Phd in due time. Till now nobody in his school knew his was during a Phd.
8. Research Topics (Thesis Topic)
Majority of us give ourselves an headache of picking a topic you cannot handle, why not pick a narrow topic that you can easily handle and finish in time. This factor contribute to reasons why supervisors keep canceling and canceling till you are frustrated.
9. Lack of proper research guidance given by the research
Without guides, a candidate cannot register for PhD itself
10. Lack of experience of the Researcher pursuing PhD which lead to Lack of interest
Before you embark on any phD programme is better you seek advice from those that have pass through it before you are frustrated out
11. Lack of Grant of permission from the organization you work for.
Not only your organization, quote me wrong "How many Nigeria university have a grant for scholarship?
This are just my own perceived causes which I'm very sure are more than this, should in case you have done your phD thesis you can account your experience here, so that others with such ambition will learn..
1. The ones who will praise the first student to submit his booklet making every other students look like they know nothing. Woooooow !!! Do you mean you have finished? They will face other students and say " can see your life oooo?, he finished b4 an hour"
