My dream is to make Kano University of Science and Technology a reference point – VC
Can you briefly tell us more about yourself?My name is Professor Shehu Musa Alhaji. I obtained my B.Sc. in General Agriculture from Usman Danfodio University (UDU), Sokoto, M.Sc in Agricultural Economics from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi and my PhD in Agricultural Economics is a join programme between ATBU and Purdue University in the […]
Can you briefly tell us more about yourself?
My name is Professor Shehu Musa Alhaji. I obtained my B.Sc. in General Agriculture from Usman Danfodio University (UDU), Sokoto, M.Sc in Agricultural Economics from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi and my PhD in Agricultural Economics is a join programme between ATBU and Purdue University in the United States of America (USA). Now I am holding the position of Vice-Chancellor of Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST), Wudil. I have a number of publications at national and international levels. I held a number of administration responsibilities; I was the immediate past Rector of Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Dambatta. I am married with children.
As a new V-C what are your plans for the institution?
On the day I assumed duty, I have unveiled what I called seven target points set to move the university forward. The points revolve around achieving academic excellence in terms of quality programmes that we will be running. Expansion of the existing programmes that are currently running at the university and also introducing new programmes that will be beneficial to the people of Kano, Nigeria and humanity in general. We will also improve on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in our operations. We also have concern for Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). In fact, beside the registration fees paid by the students we want to use the potential the university has to raise its IGR. Next to this is the staff development which includes, among other things, training and re-training of our staffers as well as improving their welfare. In a nutshell, I want to make the university a reference point.
Your predecessor in his valedictory speech identified lack of senior academic staff as one of the challenges facing the institution. How do you intend to address this problem?
I have been a visiting lecturer to this university for 11 years so I am aware of some of these issues. And what I intend to do is to get additional professors, associate professors and senior lecturers. We will tie with India, Egypt and Malaysia to help us in establishing academic standard and leadership. We will also leverage on the cordial relationship existing between KUST and Bayero University, Kano (BUK) and other universities in the country to improve our manpower.
Are these professors coming as full time staff or visiting lecturers?
We will get them on contractual agreement for three years but we will put more effort to make sure that the National Universities Commission (NUC) approves some of our post- graduate programmes which the visiting professors will be offering because this will enable us to come up with an aggressive post-graduate training programme for our academic staff.
Apart from dearth of senior academic staff, what other problems does the university face?
To be honest with you, there are many of them. The issues of road networking and landscape is one of them because if we really want to make it a befitting university, definitely then, we need to improve on that. We also need to inculcate additional academic culture for all cadres of staff and, generally, we need to improve on our efficiency to service delivery. There is also a serious challenge of ecological problem that we have to address which I think government will help us to do that. I am happy that the governor is so much dedicated to the educational sector, KUST is his baby and, I am sure, he will give us all the necessary support to make the university a success. There is also the challenge of hostel accommodation, toilet and other facilities which we are also making effort to address.
Our sporting facilities also need an urgent attention. But I want to put emphasis on the ecological problem facing the university. The KUST is located in a town very close to the Wudil River and, therefore, is faced with serious ecological threats. Another problem is accommodation for both staff and students. Currently we are not accommodating up to one third of our students and our students population is 8, 600. We have to, at least, accommodate one third if we are to meet the accreditation criteria. Presently, we are looking for the possibility of Public Private Partnership (PPP) for additional hostels and other facilities to be provided.
Another big challenge is that of staff housing. We would want government to give us additional housing because the problem of housing is affecting our efficiency. Most of our staffers are residing in Kano and, therefore, had to shuttle between Kano and Wudil on daily basis to report to their duty posts.
Most of the state owned universities in the country are accused of charging students exorbitant fees for their daily operations. What can you say on this?
I have told you earlier that one of my seven-point target is to improve our IGR and our focus on IGR is beyond the scope of registration fees. Remember, this is a university of science and technology and there are so many areas which we can generate revenue internally. The university farm is one of them and we are currently planning for an organized consultancy company for the university which will make all the faculties IGR deriving. We will also expand on the activities of the entrepreneurship centre which is also another source of revenue.
The challenges seems enormous, do you think you can address them before the end of your tenure?
Like I have told you, we have an action governor that is willing to transform the education sector and we have his mandate to develop KUST and, I am sure, he will give us a helping hand in that respect. We will also leverage on the opportunities that are available in the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) to solve some of these problems. We also had a plan to create an Endowment and Advancement Directorate in the university which will help us source more revenue from various sources within the state. I have seen how this system worked excellently in Abeokuta, where a former speaker did a very good investment in what they called a Unity Centre. Here, we can also achieve similar concept through the connection of our Chancellor, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Pro-chancellor, A.B. Mahmud (SAN) and other members of the university’s governing council.
Nigerian universities are synonymous with excessive strikes. What do you think can be done to avert such strikes in the future?
This is a broad issue, but I think what we need to do is for all of us to be stakeholders in moving education forward in this country. If government, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and the society in general, believe they are all active stakeholders in moving the education sector forward then, we can address this issue, once and for all. To me, the solution is that we shall all be committed in moving education forward. I want to believe that both ASUU and government are doing these things to move the education sector forward but, what is needed is for all sides to be sincere and plan ahead.