When Arewa rediscovered its unity
A cream of prominent Nigerians was at the Arewa House to honour one person. The person had a 53-year career in Nigeria’s and international education sector. He was said to be an icon of international repute. He is one of such Northerners who pay no attention to the line of religion or tribe differences. It […]
A cream of prominent Nigerians was at the Arewa House to honour one person. The person had a 53-year career in Nigeria’s and international education sector. He was said to be an icon of international repute. He is one of such Northerners who pay no attention to the line of religion or tribe differences.
It was based on those virtues that the launching of an autobiography of Professor Adamu Baikie, the first northern Nigerian professor of education, was well attended. The event, once again, revived the unity that the northern Nigeria was known for. Northerners of different religious and tribal backgrounds witnessed the event.
It was in that regards the guest speaker at the occasion and the governor of the Nigerian Central Bank, Mallam Sunusi Lamido Sunusi, described the professor as an icon of world standard as per as the academic arena is concerned.
“His pyramid academic and life achievement are admirable,” Mallam Sunusi said; adding that “the presentation of Professor Adamu Baikie’s autobiography, Against All Odds, is been long overdue.”
Dwelling on his paper, Re-invigorating education in Nigeria: An essay in honour of Professor Adamu Baikie; Mallam Sunusi laments on the present predicaments bedevilling the country’s education sector.
“The poor state of education is also manifested in dearth of functional libraries, poor state of learning infrastructure, limited access to recent advances in various spheres of knowledge and longer time required to complete a programme. Others include modality of teaching with instructional materials and facilities, lack of space for admission and irregularity in academic calendars of tertiary institutions arising from incessant strike actions embarked upon by both academic and non-academic staff unions,” Mallam Sunusi said.
However, Mallam Sunusi identified the efforts of people like Professor Adamu Baikie in developing the Nigeria’s education sector, saying that had people like Professor Baikie found themselves at the helm of the country’s education sector, things would have since changed for the better.
Eulogising the Professor of education, former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, who chaired the occasion, described him as a distinguished Nigerian whose contributions to the growth of education in the country would never be forgotten.
“Professor Baikie is not just a distinguished Nigerian but a role model who helped many Nigerian universities to gain ground during their trying times. I am always proud to associate with him. We shared fun memories of growing up together, he was my earlier school mate, indeed the least I can do for a man I admire and respected is to be present at this event. This is more so for me because we have come a long way with Professor Baikie, he saved several universities in their critical period.
‘’It is not for nothing therefore that Professor Baikie made references in his book to his beloved parents who anchored his life and made him what he is today. Another reason why I agreed to chair this occasion was to have the opportunity to state the ethical contribution, which Professor Baikie has made to the growth of the Nigerian nation as an intellectual. He trained several young minds for the growth of society,’’ General Gowon said.
The former head of state called on Nigerians to emulate Professor Baikie by putting their experiences into writing for the benefit of other Nigerians, especially the future generation.
Also, in a write-up captured in the autobiography of the Professor, Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, the Chairman of Media Trust Ltd, Publishers of the Trust’s stables, said the virtues of the Professor are worthy of emulation for all Nigerians.
“A perceptive friend of mine once said that the ideal person to lead Nigeria is a Christian from the North. I have reflected on that statement for some time, and I think it has some merits. Gowon lasted in power for nine years because, though a Christian, he was also a northerner, who understood the sensitivities of this half-feudal, half-progressive part of the country only too well. Another northern Christian of immense charm and great possibility is Professor Adamu Baikie, whom I have long known by reputation. The most striking quality about him is the ease with which he deals with people. This man who has been full professor in a university long before I could spell that word, patiently listens to my half-baked views as if he had not heard similar one before. Adamu Baikie had been adequately prepared for a life of quiet, but competent service, “Mallam Yusuf said.
The praises kept on pouring from eminent personalities at the occasion. The likes of General Theophilos Danjuma, Reverend Hassan Kuka, Deputy Governor of Kano State, Dr Umar Ganduje, Professor Emiratos Umar Shehu, Professor Jerry Gana, and about 12 Vice Chancellors of different Nigerian universities, among others, were unanimous in saying that the 80 years of Professor Baikie’s existence are worthy of emulation.
Professor Adamu Baikie was born on 2nd October, 1931 at No. G10 Yoruba Street, Sabon Gari, Zaria. Professor Adamu Baikie’s father, Pa Jacob Abdallah Baikie, adopted the name Baikie from Rev John Ogazuma Baikie in 1912. Rev Ogazuma hailed from Kotan Karfe in the present day Niger State.
In 1939, Professor Baikie began his education pursuit at the CMS School in Fagge, Kano after his father had moved to the ancient city from Zaria. While in Zaria, Professor Baikie’s father worked with the Nigerian Railway Corporation and was very close to the royal family of Zaria, especially the late Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Muhammad Aminu.
From 1940 to 1945, Professor Baikie attended the Holy Trinity School in Kano where he did his Primary education. In 1946, he moved to Middle School Wusasa, St Batholomew’s, where he graduated in 1948. From 1949 to 1954, the professor was at Anglican Teachers’ College and St. Peters Teachers College, Zaria respectively.
After attending the teachers’ colleges, he gained admission into the Nigerian College, now Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), where he earned Diploma in Education and Postgraduate certificate in Art Education. This was between 1957 and 1962.
From the Nigerian College, Professor Baikie embarked on an education sojourn abroad where he did his masters degree in the Indiana University at the United States of America from 1962 to 1964. In 1967, Professor Baikie went to the same university for his P.hD programme from 1967 to 1969. He became a professor of education in October 1971.
Professor Baikie got married to his wife, Elizabeth Yar’baba Sa’adatu, in 1961, and 50 years after the marriage, the couple are still living together at their GRA, Zaria residence. The marriage was blessed with five children, three males and two females; Mohammed, Ado, Usman, Asmaú and Maimuna.
Remorseful Professor Baikie said during the occasion as well as in his autobiography; “I spent all my working life in Education. I was a primary school teacher; a headmaster of a primary school; a lecturer in Education; a professor of Education (the first in northern Nigeria); a head of the department of education and dean of education at ABU and vice chancellor of three universities, including a foreign university. Not once did I deviate from the path of education or feel envy for any other profession. I have often wondered about what I would have ended up becoming if I had not taken up teaching.
“I worked hard to become what I am. I made use of the opportunity that God gave me and worked to attain what I want. One should not try to compare himself with others but try to be what you are. Don’t be envious of others; don’t be over ambitious to the extent that if you fail to meet your ambitions you would be frustrated. What you haven’t achieved in one area, you can make it up somewhere. In all, I have had a fulfilled life. If I have to live my life all over again, I probably would pass through the same paths and only strive to improve on my shortcomings of the past. I retired in December 2009 and I am now enjoying a quiet life at my residences in Zaria and Kano. I wish to thank all who contributed in one way or the other in making this event successful,” Professor Baikie said.