Prof. Aibinu Recounts How Unconventional Team Secured Four International Grants in One Year

Professor Abiodun Musa Aibinu, a Professor of Mechatronics Engineering, has recounted how a diverse research team he led at Summit University, Offa, secured its first international grant within two months and approximately four grants within 12 months.

Aibinu, who shared the experience in an article titled “When Success Is Mistaken for Privilege,” said the achievement demonstrated the importance of hard work, mentorship, teamwork and creating opportunities for people with different educational backgrounds.

He explained that the team comprised six holders of the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) who were awaiting university admission, five undergraduates, two bachelor’s degree holders and about five master’s degree holders.

According to him, he was the only PhD holder in the team.

Despite the team’s unconventional composition, Aibinu said it secured its first international grant within two months, followed by approximately four grants in 12 months.

He noted that the grants focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and gender-related issues, adding that the team’s accomplishments went beyond securing research funding.

According to the professor, the initiative helped establish a research culture, develop a distinctive institutional niche and nurture the next generation of innovators.

However, he observed that some people interpreted the team’s success as a product of privilege rather than recognising the hard work, mentorship and opportunities that contributed to its achievements.

Aibinu stressed that the true value of academic leadership should not be measured solely by the number of grants secured but also by the people empowered and the institutional capacity developed in the process.

“Sometimes, the greatest achievement is not the grants won, but the people empowered and the institutional capacity created,” he said.

The professor added that the experience offered important lessons on leadership, innovation, research development and institutional transformation.

Aibinu, who is also an advocate of innovation and artificial intelligence, is the author of Notes from a Vice-Chancellor, through which he shares practical insights and experiences from academia, leadership, technology and institutional development.

The article is available on his website at https://www.aibinu.com.ng/blog/when-success-is-mistaken-for-privilege and on Medium at https://medium.com/@maibinu/when-success-is-mistaken-for-privilege-1ec21d30db32.