ABUJA — Scholars have called for urgent reforms to doctoral education in Nigeria, citing weak funding, poor supervision, long completion times and research with little impact on development. The call was made at a national workshop on transforming doctoral education, convened by the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR) and the Carnegie Corporation with the National Universities Commission, TETFund and university leaders. Prof. Ayo Ojebode, principal investigator of a continental study covering Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia and South Africa, said only about 0.3 per cent of Africa's population holds a PhD. Nigeria's principal investigator, Prof. Fatai Aremu, urged candidates to start from real problems rather than topics, called for training for supervisors and better libraries and internet access, and warned against PhDs that drag on for 10 to 15 years. PASGR's Constance Furaha Mohunga said graduation rates are highest in South Africa, followed by Nigeria.