Kwara State University (KWASU) Vice Chancellor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah is a passionate and determined scholar. He is not only passionate about his job and country, he is determined to etch his institution’s name on Africa’s scientific map. Interestingly, he is an ardent fan of the Nigerian Film Industry. In this chat with Evelyn Osagie, Na’Allah shares his thoughts on the industry and other issues.
who is Prof AbdulRasheed Na’Allah?
AbdulRasheed Na’Allah is the Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete. I was born on December 21, 1962 in Ilorin. I studied at the “Better by Far University”, “the Greatest” University of Ilorin, obtaining BA (Hons) in English and Education and MA in Literature in English, and taught there for some years before I went to Edmonton, Canada, for my PhD at the University of Alberta.
I write poetry and have finished a draft of two plays that I will soon get reviewed, edited and hopefully published. I see myself as a scholar, critical thinker, creative writer and performer and I have published quite a number of poetry books, Almajiri (2001), Ahmadu Fulani (2004) and Ilorin: Praise Poetry (2011). I love the drum, but I cannot say that I am an expert in it by imagination, but can make it sound a bit beautiful to the ear.
I also taught for many years at the Western Illinois University where I became Full Professor and Chair of the Department of African American Studies. I was appointed Pioneer Vice Chancellor of Kwara State University in 2009. The Kwara State House of Assembly after public hearings changed the law establishing the University to give me a second term as Pioneer Vice-Chancellor, as was recommended by Council and approved by the Executive Governor of Kwara State, and now I am in my second term as KWASU’s Vice Chancellor.
Experience as Vice Chancellor
Well, it has been rewarding. Our university has, within its few years of existence, made tremendous strides for our state and for Nigeria. Even at five years old, we are proud of being a pioneer university in many areas! We are focused in achieving the ambition of the state government in setting up the university; to be a different kind of university, in creating wealth for our state and nation, in developing our students without exception with entrepreneurial skills and ensuring that none of them roam the streets upon graduation, to assist our nation in realising its vision of scientific and technological development and much more. KWASU is the only university in Nigeria with a degree programme in Aeronautic and Astronautic Engineering, it is the only university in Northcentral and if not the only one, then one of the very few ones in Northern Nigeria with a degree programme in Tourism. We are the only Nigerian university, being the leading one in Entrepreneurship, to develop a programme to produce teachers for secondary schools in Entrepreneurship Education. The university is the first to create a Film Village, as we have created the Malete Film Village for assisting Nollywood and African filmmakers to acquire more sophisticated training and produce films using the MFV facility, from beginning to finish, and the list is really long.
Inspiration behind the university’s scientific feats
Well, as Vice-Chancellor, I am the leader for all academic programmes in my university and it doesn’t matter whether a Vice-Chancellor is in the arts or sciences, his or her job is to understand all the rudiments of the academia and be knowledgeable enough to articulate and represent very clearly and unambiguously the thrusts of all academic disciplines in his University, including any new ones that might be established. A VC must be a defender of academic vigour and academic sophistication and even beyond that, he or she must know how to ensure that the university focuses on helping the immediate and larger community to grow and develop according to the aspirations of the people and the government. In the area of science, technology and aerospace, KWASU wants to be the Georgia Tech of Nigeria, where people that matter in Aviation, Air Force, Space research and many more for Nigeria would be products of KWASU! We collaborate with the Georgia Institute of Technology, the US University with the largest aerospace engineering programme in America. We are similarly determined at KWASU’s energy research. Our energy team is working on solar energy and many areas of alternative energy research, and we can’t wait for the new solar company, RanaPower, to start producing solar plants and solar farms and distribute electricity from here in Ilorin. KWASU is UNESCO Chairholder in Alternative Energy and other members of our energy research team are collaborating with Heifel University in China and working out strategy for joint work with the energy team of Georgia Tech. With research support from industries and others, we will lead the way for Nigeria in energy research.
Interest in the film industry
We are indeed, excited about our new Centre for Nollywood Studies, and I am proud to announce that Dr Carmen McCain was recently appointed as Director of the Centre. We are mindful of the existence of various film traditions in Nigeria, from Yoruba movie to Hausa, Igbo, Nollywood and Kannywood, and more, and the film traditions across Africa and beyond, and KWASU’s Nollywood Studies Centre is dedicated to all film traditions, and has started creating digital archives for all sorts of films. As you know, the Nigerian Film Industry is now the second largest in the world and that reality has automatically given the Nigerian academia an enormous responsibility. The KWASU’s Film Village, the annual African Cinema Conference and the KWASU Nollywood Studies Centre, all are dedicated to attracting the world to our state, our nation and helping to shape the industry of whatever language and tradition to attain its utmost best in the world.
His philosophy of life
The philosophy that life is for service, to God, to your family, your people and your community, and the philosophy that selfless service, dignity and integrity are direct products of personal happiness, fulfillment and favour of the Almighty Allah.
Literature’s economic viability
Literature is useless if it’s not concerned with or relevant to life, and especially African literature is primarily concerned with life and social being. So, literature and culture have been in many parts of the world and can be for Kwara State and Nigeria sources of abundant wealth. We are particularly interested because it’s the vision of our state government, to ensure that KWASU is creating wealth, huge wealth, and empowering our young people to create wealth.
Creative muse
Just thinking about my childhood does that for me, and interacting with my childhood friends, with family, and driving the streets of my community early morning or in the evening, at Oja Abayawo, Ita-Ogunbo, Oja Omoda, Oloje, Oja Oba, and more, attending cultural events in Ilorin, and listening to recitations from the Qur’an in Ilorin voices, all these and many more ignite my creative muse.
Growing-up
Growing up was very memorable. First in Ilorin, attending the Ansarul Islam Primary School, after a very brief stint at Baboko Primary School; later, in Sokoto, Koko and Yelwa-Yauri and Birnin Yauri. In Sokoto, I attended the Demonstration I Primary School located between the Sultan Abubakar College and Sokoto Teacher’s College. In Koko I attended Mala Salihu Primary School, and in Yelwa-Yauri and Birnin Yauri, I attended the then Government Teacher’s College, Birnin Yauri, now Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri. When I started in Yelwa-Yauri, at its temporary site, Yauri was in Sokoto State. It is now in Kebbi State. It was marvellous being born into the multi-cultural tradition of Ilorin; a city of knowledge. It is even more extraordinary acquiring Islamic and Western knowledge first from my Ilorin home and later from cities across the Northwestern Nigeria. I feel proud and privileged to have lived my early lives in Ilorin and Sokoto and Koko and Yelwa-Yauri and Birnin Yauri, and whatever I become in life, all these cultural upbringings and especially, the Ilorin tradition of multi-culturalism and its identity as a multi-cultural and multi-lingual Muslim, is responsible and has defined me.
Upbringing that inspired the man I became
The confidence and dignity of an Ilorin person is from his or her upbringing and the peaceful nature of his or her cultural life. I am grateful to Allahu Ta’ala for this Ilorin upbringing that I enjoyed. It has inspired the person I became. I started from Kewu wala, the Quranic School, where we used wala, the slate to learn and memorise the Glorious Qur’an. I remember how at completion of any major chapter, we would celebrate the wolimat, and felt proud of our knowledge and our Islam, and our Ilorinness. We will go around the community and sang with pride, “Toba sepe aiku laye o/ Ababa Muhammadu/ Ababa Muhammada/ Oke mefa legbaji/ Awa o bakan ma laye/ Toreta ti Musa o/ Injila fun Yisa/ Sebura Fun Dauda/ Al-Kur’ani fun Onsenla! Meaning in English, If only no one dies in this World/ We would have met Muhammadu/ We would have met Muhammada/ Hundreds of them (who were Prophet’s companions)/ We met no one in this World/ Toreta is for Moses/Injila is for Jesus/ Sebura is for David/ Al-Qur’an is for the Seal of the Prophets!”
The truth is that from that age, the idea of diversity of beliefs and religions through the various prophets were imbed in us, and we celebrate the prophets of religions, Moses, Jesus, David and Mohammed! It was an inherent culture transmitted to the young Ilorin person. “Talole de, talole de ohe/ Talole de/ Fila tannabi bo le/ Ta lole de/ Afi Iyanda Oni wolima/ Sohun lole de/ Who else can wear it, who can wear it/ Who can wear it/ The cap worn by Muhammed/ Who can wear it/ It’s only Iyanda the celebrant of Wolimat/ He (or She) it is that can wear it!”
The leader Nigeria needs now
What Nigeria needs now are leaders with honour, dignity, totally selfless and knowledgeable in commitment to the development of the country. Nigerian businesses, social and economic sectors need leaders that would understand that abandoning the Oyo-Ogbomoso road for decades is not a good business sense, even if many of them are rich enough to fly and avoid those roads, or many of them have trailers that can bamboozle their ways sometime causing fatal accidents and many days of blockade on the way. Imagine the great business that could be attracted to Ilorin and Kwara State if that road was good, and if the roads in Mokwa and Jebba are good, imagine the great additional profits that can come to the businesses of our nation. A person once told me that perhaps if these roads are reconstructed and made perfect and enjoyable express-road all the way to Kano, Borno, Lagos and Port Harcourt, trailer owners would cease to make the kind of money and profit that they currently make. I believe this is shortsightedness and myopic thinking. With fixing of those roads would emerge even new and greater business ventures for the trailers as connectors of goods to shorter distances and markets, making their trips shorter and their profits greater, and the profits and productivity of Nigeria greater.
Advice for those gunning for public offices
My advice to them is to fear God Almighty, be sincere to our dear country and work truly towards building a robust future for many generations yet to come.
