The drums have been rolled out as this
October is really merry for students and alumnus of the great Ahmadu Bello University
Zaria. The great ABU is fifty. Officially launched on the 4th of
October 1962 in a colourful ceremony presided over by its first Chancellor, Sir
Ahmadu Bello the Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria has over the
decades attained a worldwide reputation for excellence.
One of the largest and most extensive
of all universities in Sub-Saharan Africa, the University is standing up to the
dreams of its founding father who envisioned it to grow and become a world
citadel of learning. But the pertinent question is, “Has the Vision of Ahmadu
Bello been realised within its 50 years?” Clearly there are some calls for
fanfare and celebration, but yet a great call for sober reflection.
Sir Ahmadu Bello at his installation
and first convocation of the University on November 23, 1963, stated clearly
the philosophy of our Alma Mata “The
first duty of every university is the search for and the spread of knowledge
and the establishment of truths…But it must also serve the need of the
nation.” This philosophy is imbibed
in his saying “The cardinal principle
upon which our University is founded is to impart knowledge and learning to men
and women of all races without any distinction on the grounds of race,
religious, or political beliefs” indeed this is one tenet that has consistently
been the backbone of this institution. ABU is notable among Nigeria’s
universities for the breadth and national character of its student recruitment.
ABU had been founded to be the University of Northern Nigeria, yet more than
any other of Nigeria’s universities; it has served students from every state
and facade of the Nigerian federation. The very fact of ABU’s strikingly
“national character” in terms of drawing students and staff from an unusually
broad range of Nigeria’s regional, ethnic and religious communities has earned
it a particularly important place among Nigerian universities. Ahmadu Bello
University is the most cosmopolitan tertiary institution in Nigeria both in
terms of staff and student profiles. Every Local Government Area of Nigeria has
student(s) in the University, notwithstanding; all States of the Federation are
equally represented in the staff profile of the University. It is without doubt
the only truly federal University in the country. It has thus, carved a niche
for itself as the country's symbol of national unity and integration just like
the Great Sardauna had projected.
As a Center of Excellence with a
vision “Ahmadu Bello University shall be
a world-class University comparable to any other, engaged in imparting
contemporary knowledge, using high quality facilities and multi-disciplinary
approaches, to men and women of all races as well as generating new ideas and
intellectual practices relevant to the needs of its immediate community,
Nigeria and world at large” there is need for solid assessment of the
journey; the storms; the complacency; the development; and the potentials of
this citadel. It is surely no mean feat to attain such an important and
significant milestone.
From the beginning, ABU was
scrupulously outstanding for its breadth and ambition. Under the tutelage of
its pioneer Vice-Chancellors Dr Alexander Norman and Dr Ishaya Audu, ABU was
creating a range of programs that only the very most comprehensive foreign
developed nations’ Universities could boast of. As such in the hay days, ABU
was strongly established as Nigeria’s largest university and among Africa’s
strongest academic institutions and a force to reckon with in the world.
Indeed growth has continued, but
stuttering. The journey has been plummeted by external events and challenges.
The sharp delineating funding characterised by the deterioration of the
nation’s economy as a whole coupled with the increasing need to cope with the
ever increasing student population with meagre resources has left the
University to be a far cry from the Vision of its Founding Father. High quality facilities and multi-disciplinary approaches have fell
short as Staff salaries were reduced rapidly in cost-of-living terms, and
funding for facilities grossly inadequate.
With an enrolment of about 50,000
students (undergraduate, post-graduate and sub-degree), the increasing student
population versus the staff strength and paltry resources available has limited
the dissemination of proper, standard and adequate intellectual practice to the
university communal. Depreciation of infrastructure caused by wear and tear and
inadequacies has been supplemented by the population increase and demand
pressure.
So in the end, at Ahmadu Bello
University “Where Are We?” It is not so much relying on history and past glory,
but in understanding the strengths and weaknesses and how to harness their
potentials; understanding the challenges and how to leapfrog them; drawing out
pivotal blueprints and seeing to their enactment; then and only then shall the
Sardauna’s Dream be vividly articulated, to be in consonance with world best
practices.
It has been a long prosperous journey,
many have dedicated, many have sacrificed, the ride has been pleasant, and at
times the road hasn’t been so smooth. We’ve benefited immensely from the
labours of our predecessors to this University, their prudence and their
perseverance, it’s now our time to set a new course to attain the vision, to
meet the growing challenges of a 21st Century University and the
competitive higher education market place. “…We must develop our own pattern to suit our present background and our
future needs…”
Ahmadu Bello University shall
continue to improve; we have a cause for celebration, to showcase our
uniqueness, our achievements and our challenges. “…Only if it adheres to those freedoms can it become truly great…” We
shall keep true the dreams and ideals of its founding fathers, we shall
celebrate a Golden Jubilee worthy of its status. It is right that the Nigerian
economy and beyond, should benefit from the top class training and research
capabilities of such a University “…Our
University must grow out of our own soil. We shall be a truly Nigerian
institution and not the mirror image of some alien body…”
So here’s a toast to the most prestigious
University in Nigeria, the giant of African Universities providing learning
without borders to all races. Long Live ABU ZARIA!