ABU Alumni Association to build overhead bridge by main campus North Gate

The Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Alumni Association says it will build an overhead bridge by the North Gate of the institution’s main campus in Samaru.












It also said it would build a 52-suite post-graduate hostel on the campus to encourage learning and research in the university.


The National President of the association, Dr Ahmed Mora, made this known to State House correspondents in Abuja on Tuesday after briefing the Wife of the President Aisha Buhari, on the activities of the association.

According to Mora, the leadership of the Alumni also briefed the wife of the president, who is the Grand Patron of the association, on the outcome of the just-concluded Lecture, Dinner and Recognition Award events organised by the association in Abuja.

``The issue is that tertiary education does not come cheap.

``So, we have encouraged the formation of alumni associations all the universities, federal universities, state universities privately-owned universities.

``Even faith-based universities will have to encourage the formation of alumni associations so that they can pool resources to augment the internally generated revenue of the universities to project the universities forward.

``This is what happens all over world. They have foundations; they have endowments that run in billions of dollars. That is why they are up there in research and development.

``Universities’ ranking is in terms of research and output, which we want to use to take Ahmadu Bello University to greater heights.’’

He said that the presentation of Recognition Awards to 42 former students, corporate organisations and prominent Nigerians under different categories by the association was to encourage the awardees to do more for the university in terms of intervention and support.

``We intend to link up with each and every member of the association electronically to enable members be informed of our activities and those of the university through the `ABU Alumni Magazine’ and provision of platform for membership fees to be paid electronically.

``Our strength is obviously in our numbers, its diverse nature and the tradition of the university, which is among the first generation universities in Nigeria.

``We need to stress that ABU Zaria is the largest university in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa with membership of 800,000, the 54-year old university has contributed significantly to national development in terms of human capital.’’

According to him, 12 of the current 36 governors, eight ministers and many serving members of the National Assembly are products of the university.

Mora assured that the ABU Alumni would continue to educate and sensitise its members across the nation and in the Diaspora to the change mantra of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Credit: NAN