ABU Achieve It’s Dream Of Becoming Postgraduate Institution – VC

By; SANI ALIYU, Zaria

The Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, has said that the institution has achieved its dream of becoming a postgraduate university as it critically reviewed all postgraduate programmes to make them more relevant and responsive to current societal challenges and needs.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Public Affairs Directorate of the University, which said that the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ahmed expressed this at the matriculation ceremony for the newly admitted postgraduate students, also said that the university had early this year renamed its School of Postgraduate Studies as ‘The Postgraduate College’.

“With the highest Postgraduate programmes totaling 529 and a total of over 7,000 postgraduate students population, the University administration is fully aware of this eminent change”, he said.

The Vice Chancellor assured both fresh and old Postgraduate students that measures were already in place to ensure that they graduated within the stipulated period of their studies.

“University education is normally an exciting experience but a great deal of social responsibility is thrust upon you as you pursue your studies.

Your main purpose of coming to the university is to acquire knowledge and skills to prepare you for a useful life.

“However, the process of fulfilling these noble objectives require peace, stability and a conducive environment.

An important challenge facing you, therefore, is how you can help maintain a peaceful, stable and cordial atmosphere that is conducive for teaching, learning and good character building”, Prof. Ahmed also said.

He explained that the university was exploring ways in deepening its partnership and linkages with several organisations in order to support the Postgraduate College programmes to be student-centred, curricula-responsive, entrepreneur-oriented in order to respond to societal and industrial needs.

Prof. Ahmed congratulated the fresh students on the rare opportunity of being among the few ones that succeeded out of the teeming number of candidates that applied for admission into the Postgraduate College.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Provost, Postgraduate College, Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Mohammed Nasir Shuaibu, explained that the University received a total of 6,953 Postgraduate applications for the 2024/2025 academic session.

He said that at the end of the admission process, a total of 5384 applicants were able to meet the rigorous admission criteria and consequently were recommended for admission.According to him, of the number, 3587 had successfully been screened and over 95 perecent had so far completed their registration formalities.

This number, he also said, comprised 725 PhD students, 57 MPhil, 2558 Masters Degree students and 371 PhD students.

The Provost urged the new students to make best use of the opportunity by working hard and respecting the university rules and regulations for them to be able to complete their programmes on record time.

Others who spoke at the occasion included the Dean of Students, Prof. Sahalu B. Junaidu, who informed the newly admitted students that the Student Affairs Division was in charge of accommodation as well as student welfare.

Equally, the Registrar, Malam Rabiu Samaila, Ag. Chief Security Officer for the university, Malam Ashiru T. Zango, and Director, University Health Services, Prof. M.M. Dauda, counselled the students on university regulations, security and health issues, respectively.