100-year-old Zaria agric college celebrates centenary laurels

The Samaru College of Agriculture, a division of colleges of agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria on Monday celebrated 100 years of providing agricultural education. The College began as a practical agricultural training center in 1921 at Maigana, 24 kilometers away from Zaria by the British Cotton Growers Association (BCGA) with officials of the Agricultural Research […]

The Samaru College of Agriculture, a division of colleges of agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria on Monday celebrated 100 years of providing agricultural education.

The College began as a practical agricultural training center in 1921 at Maigana, 24 kilometers away from Zaria by the British Cotton Growers Association (BCGA) with officials of the Agricultural Research Station, a unit that later became Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), which became part of the Ahmadu Bello University.

In 1968, the college also became part of the Ahmadu Bello University when the School was transferred to the then Interim Common Services Agency (ICSA).

A statement from the Public Affairs Directorate, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, listed the College alumni to include Sir Dauda Jawara, former President of The Gambia, former Governors of Gombe and Borno States, Alhaji Abubakar Habu Hashidu and Alhaji Mala Kachalla, respectively.

The statement also said that the agricultural training centre, which was the first College of Agriculture in Northern Nigeria and the second in Nigeria only after the College of Agriculture, Moore Plantation, Ibadan, finally became Samaru School of Agriculture in 1932.

Speaking at the centenary celebration held at the College premises in Zaria, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, represented by the Director, University Education, at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Ruqayya Iliyasu, acknowledged the tremendous contributions the College had made towards Nigeria’s agricultural development.

Speaking at the occasion, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala, said that “the success of the College led to the establishment of its sister colleges namely, College of Agriculture and Animal Science, Mando, Kaduna and Kabba College of Agriculture by the Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto in 1963 and 1964 respectively.”

The Director, Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. M.A. Mahadi, said that “after the colonial era, the College has been serving the post-colonial agricultural needs of Nigeria as a hub for nurturing middle level professionals in the agricultural sub-sector of the country and beyond, thereby bridging the gap between agricultural research and farmers through effective extension delivery. 

“This was made possible by the purposeful re-orientation, re-organization and refocusing of the College’s mandate to meet the needs of the Nigerian agricultural development programme’s goals for achieving food security.”

The College Provost, Prof. E.M. Shaibu – Imodagbe, who spoke on the historical background of the College, explained that ABU had in 1987 directed its Division of Agricultural Colleges to subject its colleges’ academic programmes to accreditation by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for the award of National Diploma and Higher National Diploma certificates.