At its 41st convocation ceremony, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria showcases academic excellence and infrastructure renewal, ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE reports
Established in October 1962 as University of Northern Nigeria, and later renamed after the Premier of the region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the university has grown to become the largest in West Africa.
The growth in academic performance, research and inventions notwithstanding, the university also hobbled by underfunding, which the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibrahim Garba described as its major challenge.
It was in response to this challenge that the richest black man and President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote came to the aid of the university, by building 10 blocks of 36 rooms hostel accommodation for the university, commissioned on Saturday.
Dangote who was rewarded with the university’s Honorary Doctor of Letters alongside one time NLC President, Comrade Hassan Sumonu at the 41st Convocation Ceremony on Saturday, used the occasion to call on the private sector to bridge the gap of underfunding of the universities.
While commissioning the 360 rooms hostel equally called for expanded funding for tertiary education in Nigeria, lamenting that, Nigerian public tertiary institutions, especially the universities have continued to grapple with the challenge of underfunding.
He however noted that, the Federal Government alone cannot shoulder the entire burden of funding tertiary education due to competing needs of other sectors that also demand priority attention.
He said, “The student population at our universities has recorded significant increase without a corresponding growth in terms of infrastructure. This is a subsisting and growing major challenge as Nigerian public universities continue to grapple with underfunding.
“We do acknowledge that, the Federal Government alone cannot shoulder the entire burden of funding tertiary education due to competing needs of other sectors that also demand priority attention.
“This is where Public Private Partnership (PPP) can and should come in to fill the gap. I strongly believe the private sector must go beyond just the payment of 2 percent education levy and be ready to join hands with the state and federal governments in expanded funding for tertiary education in Nigeria,” he said.
Dangote explained further that, the partnership and intervention of the private sector will ensure that the institutions of higher learning are positioned to produce graduates who can transform Nigeria.
He explained that, it was against that background that, Dangote Foundation built 10 blocks of fully equipped accommodation complex with the capacity of hosting 2,160 students, at a cost of N1.2 billion.
Dangote pointed out that, the gesture was informed by his passion for education and entrepreneurship.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor explained that, university was getting the first intervention in the area of hostel accommodation in the last 40 years, with the Dangote’s hostel and the three blocks of 50 rooms built under the NEEDS Assessment Project 2013.
Professor Garba explained that the challenge with hostel accommodation was worse that, students were sleeping in the school mosques and churches, while others were sleeping in faraway Kongo, with the attendant security risks.
He however expressed appreciation to Dangote for the gesture, which he said has almost solved the accommodation problem for the female students, as the then largest male hostel, Umar Suleiman Hall has been allocated to female students.
He said the university has, within the limits of available funds, continued to improve and expand existing facilities for teaching and research, mostly using Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund) and the (Presidential) Needs Assessment Intervention Funds, the World Bank and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) as well as Mac Arthur Foundation, which are supporting research, training and teaching in the University.
“There is also some philanthropic support received. These sources of funding have augmented the meagre budgetary provisions from government and brought about most of the achievements recorded in rehabilitation of Amina Hall of Residence, construction of ten blocks of 36 rooms each hostels by the Dangote foundation, named Dangote Hall, construction of three blocks of 50 room each Student hostel at Site II, named Shehu ldris (Emir of Zazzau) Hall, expansion of Departments of Biochemistry, Geology, Computer Science, Mass Communication and Electrical Engineering, construction of Department of Glass and Silicte Technology in ABU site Il and construction of 1.95 km in Area G gate residential area among others.”
Speaking on the university’s achievements in the area of academic excellence, research and inventions, the Vice Chancellor told the guests at the convocation ceremony that, the university has since 2018 commenced programmes in Railway Engineering, Traffic and Transport Engineering and Equipment and Control Engineering with Central South University (CSU), Changsha, China.
He explained, “Based on harmonised curricular, 300 level Civil and Mechanical Engineering Students of ABU are able to complete the remaining two years training at CSU to concurrently earn the degrees of both universities. This, we are convinced is necessary to improve the quality, visibility and exposure of our graduates for meaningful professional career and national development.
“The University has also made good progress in strengthening collaborations with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA in the areas of Curriculum Review, High Impact Research, Strategic Planning and E-learning. ABU-MIT collaboration has opened access to a number of higher education training and resources for a number of faculty members and Management staff of ABU, probably more than any University in Africa.
“The growing number of students and developments in pedagogy and technology has brought the imperative of introduction of blended e-learning resources and platforms in academic delivery. We have gone a long way in developing blended e-learning methodology and effective 2019/2020 academic session we shall commence academic delivery using this methodology.
“The need for Ahmadu Bello University to migrate to a postgraduate university is not only necessary but timely, in order to retain its leading position as well as discharging its mandate to meet the needs of the Nigerian society and the world of the 21st Century. The term “migration” in this context means a shift in focus from undergraduate to postgraduate studies. The migration would be gradual and phased with the goal of attaining a 70% postgraduate and 30% on-campus undergraduate student population ratio over a period of time.”
On research and inventions, which had stood the university out among others, Professor Garba said, ABU students have continued to excel in local and international competitions, recording achievements in many areas.
He disclosed that, remarkable progress has been recorded in the development of the famous ABU Zeolite catalysts for use in petroleum refining, adding that, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has continued to sponsor Professorial Chair in Chemical Engineering Department for the development
of the catalysts which would save Nigeria huge foreign exchange hitherto used to purchase same for use in the oil and gas industry.
He added that, a committee of PTDF, NNPC, DPR and private sector had since been formed to support ABU in further commercial development of the Zeolite catalysts.
According to him, “The University has consecutively won the 2017 and 2018 National Enactus world student championship, and represented Nigeria at the ENACTUS world cup in London, UK (2017) and San Jose California, USA (2018). The University emerged 5th best at the 2018 world cup.
“In 2017 and 2018, the University sponsored its studert Engineering team to the Africa Shell Eco marathon in South Africa, where the ABU Car III & IV were showcased in a competition alongside 20 other institutions. A Student team of three also won the 2018 Africa Region Hult Prize competition, and later participated at the semifinal round of the World Cup and accelerator of the programme at Ashridge, London, UK.
“A team of 4 students also won the Nigerian University Computer Programming Contest and later represented Nigeria at the Africa finals in Cotonou, Benin Republic. Another team of three Students last month won the Huawei African ICT competition in South Africa and will be representing Africa together with three other teams from Tanzania, Kenya and Angola in a world competition.
“A team of 3 students from ABU participated in AL-HIKIMA (2019) inter University Quranic competition and emerged 1st, 2nd and 4th in the different categories of the competition For two consecutive years now the Ambassador of Peoples Republic of China in Nigeria has granted a motivational scholarship of N100,000 each to 47 and 48 best students of ABU, respectively, from across all faculties.” the Vice Chancellor stated.
Meanwhile, impressed by the university’s achievements, its Visitor, President Muhammadu Buhari lauded the institution for living up to expectation towards building human capital and innovation for national development, saying that, knowledge is the key determinant of growth and development of nations in the 21st century.
Buhari, represented by the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, President Buhari observed that one of the cardinal purposes of university education was nation building.
“In the 21st century, knowledge is the key determinant of growth and development of nations, consequently, for you to be active contributors to the achievement of this noble objective, you have to be ambassadors of this university.
“This can be achieved by employing the knowledge and skills which you have acquired for national growth and development.
He described the celebration as an important milestone in the lives of the graduating students, saying it was a transformation of parental hopes into veritable reality and urged them to justify the enormous investment made on them through dedicating themselves to the values of scholarship and compulsive industrious work of nation building.
“On our part as government, leaders and parents, I assure you of continuous support and guidance as you brace up for your future engagements in national growth and development.
“It is our hope that the graduating students will turn out to be worthy ambassadors of this university wherever they find themselves,” the President said.
In his own address, the Chancellor of the University, Chief Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, expressed delight over the quality of human resource being churned out by the university, saying that, the intellectual prowess of the lecturers and the sustained effort of the management to re-position the university was responsible for the obvious quality of the graduates of the institution.
The Chancellor therefore, urged the graduating students to be good ambassadors of the university, their family and the nation. “I therefore urge you to think out of the box as you strive to excel in the harsh realities of this world.”
15,787 students were conferred with various degrees, among whom were 4,984 with higher degrees and diplomas and 10,803 with bachelor degrees, as well as 359 PhDs, 15 Masters of Philosophy and 3,380 Master degrees and Diplomas.
