ABU: Revisiting the achievements of Prof. Ibrahim Garba
If you had visited the Samaru campus of the famous Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in recent times, you would be able to speak on what it means to have a focused, dedicated and workaholic leader. You would imagine a Nigeria being governed by a liberal academic. It’s all about good leadership and vibrancy. There’s a […]
If you had visited the Samaru campus of the famous Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in recent times, you would be able to speak on what it means to have a focused, dedicated and workaholic leader. You would imagine a Nigeria being governed by a liberal academic. It’s all about good leadership and vibrancy. There’s a popular joke in Kaduna metropolis, that should Ahmadu Sardauna be resurrected today, he could locate his house.
ABU is great. Before the emergence of Professor Garba as the Vice Chancellor of ABU in May, 2015, the university used to be conservative, with apparent resistance to changes in structure and administration. As far as I know, ABU has never had a determined Vice Chancellor like Ibrahim Garba.
In the early years of Professor Garba as the governor of the university, he answered the call of enhancing science and technology for a better world. He split the old Faculty of Science into faculties of physical science and life sciences. The former houses departments of Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics, Computer Science and Geology. With the unbundling of Biology, departments of Zoology, Botany, Biochemistry and Microbiology were produced.
The reformer championed 3-4 programme. What is it about? 3-4 initiative is a collaboration between ABU and one of the leading universities in People’s Republic of China. Acknowledging the fact that Railway Engineering is not run as a degree programme in Nigeria, he started sending best performing students in the department of Civil Engineering to have their 400 and 500 levels in China. This could help a long way in addressing the needs of optical to rail for transport.
In addition to that, departments of Communication Engineering, Automotive Engineering, and Machatronics Engineering were created by the gentleman. As a no nonsense and experienced administrator, he soon initiated new buildings for the departments. Textile Science and Technology was moved from the old Faculty of Science to Faculty of Engineering.
The old Faculty of Medicine was elevated to a college, thus housing faculties of Allied Science, Clinical Science and Basic Clinical Sciences. The college is now under the supervision of a provost appointed by the university administration. More to recognise is the introduction of undergraduate programmes in Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography and Dental Surgery.
On infrastructure, Garba’s job was excellently done. ABU’s Size Two Project dream has become a glaring reality. Two new hostels were built by Dangote Group and the Federal Government of Nigeria respectively. Computer Science, Glass Technology, Architecture, Building and Mass Communication have new buildings in the new site.
Professor Ibrahim Garba, acting on the directive of the university governing council, handed over to the Vice Chancellor Academic last Friday. Before he relinquished his position, he went to ABU last week to sign an MoU with EFCC Boss to begin diploma courses on antigraft. Let’s pray for our father for job well done. I wish him and his family well.
Yusuf Musa is a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University [email protected]