“Don’t Publish For Promotion,” Tijani Warns Lecturers, Hails DELSU VC

By Moses Darah

The Vice-Chancellor of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Prof. Samuel Ogheneovo Asagba, has earned commendations for approving the 2025 International Hybrid Conference on Anti-Corruption.

The Conference, themed “Ethics, Human Responsibility, and Accountability in the Age of AI, Globalisation, Sustainability, and Contemporary Challenges in Society: Interdisciplinary Perspectives,” was organised by the Centre for Integrity and Anti-Corruption Studies, DELSU, Abraka under the directorship of Prof. Mark Omorovie Ikeke.

Scholars and participants from across Nigeria and beyond attended the Conference, which took place at the Faculty of Management Sciences on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.

Delivering the Keynote Lecture titled: “Corruption in Nigerian Institutions” via Zoom, the renowned scholar of Governance and Institutional Accountability, Prof. Hakeem Ibikunle Tijani of Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, applauded Prof. Asagba for the courage and foresight required to establish and support a directorate devoted to integrity and anti-corruption research.

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He noted that the initiative reflects DELSU’s commitment to promoting accountability, good governance, and academic excellence.

Prof. Tijani used the platform to caution academics against the widespread practice of publishing solely to meet promotion requirements, stressing that research should be guided by genuine intellectual curiosity and meaningful contributions to knowledge, rather than the pursuit of rapid career advancement.

His words: “Do not publish for promotion; publish towards promotion,” he warned.

“Any lecturer who publishes merely for promotion is already corrupt and shortchanging himself or herself.”

He urged younger academics to cultivate strong scholarly profiles by publishing in credible journals, upholding originality, and avoiding plagiarism. Integrity, he emphasised, must remain central to academic work even when some senior colleagues are perceived to “shift the goalposts.”

Prof. Tijani further observed that corruption remains endemic in many Nigerian institutions. While it may not be completely eradicated, he stressed that it can be significantly mitigated through sustained ethical conduct and by reporting serious misconduct to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Conference featured quality presentations and discussions on ethics, human responsibility, and accountability in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, globalisation, and evolving societal challenges.