The Emir of Jama’are, Ahmadu Muhammadu Wabi, has commended the Executive Director of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Y. Z. Ya’u, for pioneering the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) knowledge in the Jama’are Emirate.
The monarch gave the commendation on Sunday at the 2025 symposium organised by the National Union of Jama’are Emirate Students (NUJES) at the Federal College of Education, Jama’are, Bauchi State.
Speaking through the Sarkin Yakin Jama’are, Sabo Likita, the Emir said Ya’u’s efforts in promoting ICT awareness and knowledge development had continued to positively impact youths across the emirate.
According to him, “The Executive Director of CITAD is the pioneer who brought ICT knowledge to the Jama’are Emirate. His initiatives have empowered young people, widened access to information, and exposed the emirate to the benefits of modern technology.”
The symposium, organised in honour of Malam Ya’u, featured a keynote lecture titled “Knowledge, Technology and Civic Responsibility: Reflections from the Life and Struggles of the Executive Director of CITAD, Y. Z. Ya’u.”
Delivering the keynote address, Ibrahim Mu’azzam, a former academic staff member of the Department of Political Science, Bayero University, Kano, said Ya’u’s life illustrated how knowledge and technology could be effectively deployed in the service of society.
Mu’azzam noted that Ya’u consistently used knowledge as a tool for social change and civic engagement, stressing that intellectual work must extend beyond the classroom to address real societal challenges.
He added that Ya’u had demonstrated that technology was not merely about devices, but about responsibility, values, and empowering citizens with information to demand accountability.
Also speaking, Professor Ibrahim Bello-Kano described the CITAD executive director as a principled intellectual and a strong role model for younger generations.
“Y. Z. Ya’u was one of the BUK radicals. He was never a hypocrite and stood firmly by his principles. He remains a shining model of intellectualism and a legacy we are grateful for,” Bello-Kano said.
Earlier, the President of NUJES, Abdulkadir Muhammad Bello, said the symposium was organised to recognise and celebrate Ya’u’s contributions to the educational and socio-cultural development of the Jama’are Emirate.
He said the event provided an opportunity for students and stakeholders to reflect on Ya’u’s enduring impact on knowledge development, civic responsibility, and youth empowerment in the emirate.
