Chief Sunday Omoniyi Obiyinka, mni, has successfully defended his thesis to become the first person to earn Ph.D in Publishing and Copyright Studies from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
Dr Obiyinka, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Extension Publications Limited, defended a pioneering thesis on book sales performance in South-Western Nigeria at the premier university.
The prominent member of the Nigerian Publishers Association also became the second person in Nigeria to achieve the distinction; the first person being Professor O.A. Okwilagwe who earned his Ph.D. in Publishing from Stirling University, Scotland, over two decades ago.
Dr. Obiyinka’s doctoral thesis was titled Production Quality, Professional Commitment and Marketing Strategies as Determinants of Book Sales Performance of Educational Publishers in South-Western Nigeria.
The thesis was completed in the Department of Library, Archival and Information Studies, specifically within the Publishing and Copyright Unit.
Obiyinka was supervised by Associate Professor Clement Adeniyi Akangbe. His research offered fresh insights into the factors that influence book sales performance among educational publishers in the South-West.
The thesis highlighted the critical role of production quality- content and form- and the professional commitment of sales representatives in driving book sales.
Contrary to traditional views, the study found that marketing strategies had a lesser impact on sales performance.
The Ph.D thesis by Chief Obiyinka contained some key takeaways. These included strong sales despite challenges: The thesis was able to prove that educational publishers in the South-West maintained high sales performance due to the exceptional quality of their books;
Professional commitment gaps: Obiyinka demonstrated that sales representatives showed emotional attachment to their roles but lacked a deep organisational commitment, which may pose long-term challenges for workforce stability;
The thesis proved that publishers have effectively adopted and utilised technology to reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction, ensuring competitiveness in the market;
Obiyinka, with his Ph.D thesis showed that production quality and professional dedication were found to be the main drivers of sales, while marketing strategies had a more limited impact.
Dr Obiyinka made some recommendations in the thesis for the industry. He advised publishers to strengthen logistical and promotional support for their sales teams.
He urged them to enforce rigorous quality control at all production stages and enhance staff welfare to boost professional commitment.
The first Ph.D holder in Publishing and Copyright Studies from UI also advocated greater adoption of modern technology to complement traditional marketing methods.
Dr Obiyinka, with his thesis, made a landmark contribution to the field as he underscored the critical importance of production quality and staff commitment in achieving sales success, while downplaying the role of marketing strategies alone.
His findings offered a practical framework for educational publishers seeking to improve internal processes and enhance sales performance.
As the CEO of Extension Publications Limited and a leader in the Nigerian publishing industry, Dr Obiyinka’s thesis represented a significant contribution, not only to academia, but also to the publishing industry.
His status as the first University of Ibadan Ph.D. graduate in Publishing and Copyright Studies added to the significance of the research.
The research also promised to influence the future of educational publishing in Nigeria, just as Dr Obiyinka continued to strive for more successes in his academic journey.
