On Tuesday, May 27th, 2025, I caught a glimpse of Alhaji Yayale Ahmed and even shook his hand. The ASUU’s warning of industrial action from the week before flashed in my mind, reminding me of Yayale’s arduous tasks. I could imagine the heavy burden placed on this elder statesman since the day he was appointed to tackle two demanding, herculean responsibilities: leading the government delegation to resolve the over-decade-long FGN-ASUU crisis and chairing the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria Governing Council and its pro-chancellor.
However, I was amazed to see him relaxed and cheerful, and I concluded that our prayers for his success, as major stakeholders, along with his skilled technocracy and indefatigable determination, are yielding positive results. Nonetheless, it is not yet over until it is completely done, as nearly cannot kill a bird. ASUU members are restive and eagerly awaiting their enhanced pay package.
On his assignment as the Pro-Chancellor of ABU Zaria, Yayale deserves a thumbs up for his excellent performance in midwifing the new Vice Chancellor for the university in the freest, transparent, and fairest process, which resulted in the selection of the most respected and adorable personality from a cutthroat contest among the fourteen shortlisted candidates.
Hitherto, this seemingly simple process, unfortunately, consumed the chairmanship of late Mallam Adamu Chiroma and that of Engr. Bunu Shariff Musa, who were all appointed at different times to chair the ABU Zaria Governing Council and serve as the university’s Pro-Chancellor. Both resigned due to circumstances beyond their control. Until their demise, they likely regretted accepting their appointments. With Divine guidance, sound intention, and devoid of a hidden agenda, Yayale made it to the admiration of all peace-loving ABU friends and supporters, outstandingly. Even the university’s enemies could not help but salute the performance of this elder statesman.
The new leadership has taken over the university administration from the previous administration, whose trajectory was dislocated. From 2015 to 2020, the university was on a path of progress; the Phase Two site was commissioned with a donation of ten blocks of student hostels worth over two billion Naira from Dangote. Construction of access roads, bridge, and various other infrastructural and intellectual achievements were also recorded.
However, from 2020 to the first quarter of 2025, the university’s progress slowed, even halted at one point, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic and recurring industrial actions by university workers. The most troubling aspect was the university leadership’s attitude, which failed to learn from history. Instead of being thankful for the rarest opportunity to serve, but used the leadership position for vendettas, settling numerous scores against perceived enemies and individuals considered disloyal.
Leading a university like ABU Zaria is a colossal responsibility that can hardly be managed even under the best conditions, let alone when natural disasters, industrial actions, and self-induced vengeance prevail. The outcome is as disastrous as one can imagine.
Today marks a new dawn for ABU Zaria under the leadership of Prof. Adamu Ahmed, a man of destiny who miraculously cheated death by the skin of his teeth when, in 2012, he was shot by armed robbers, with a fragment of the bullet passing through his body and causing him to bleed for hours. He survived the ordeal and now faces the challenge of steering ABU along a glorious trajectory to reclaim its esteemed position as the best university in Sub-Saharan Africa. Fortunately, Prof. Adamu is an affable personality who enjoys the goodwill of everyone and carries no excess baggage.
Adamu is facing two titanic challenges: a lack of funds caused by inadequate university education financing, compounded by last-minute expenditures from the previous administration. The second challenge is the skyrocketing electricity bill, which has reached over N300 million per month. Who will help him? Alumni can play a key role in salvaging the situation, as the prominent graduates of ABU Zaria are present in every sector, both in Nigeria and abroad.
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, who proudly informed me that he is an alumnus of ABU, Zaria. As I was leaving his office, one of the CDS’s top military personnel grabbed my hand with a beaming smile and said, “Sir, I am also a proud graduate of the Mass Communication Department of Great ABU Zaria.” I was indeed elated to see these top military officers proudly identifying themselves with the university. ABU Alumni, over to you in this hour of the university’s critical need. To add to the challenge, the VC gave you the task of generating N5 billion for the university endowment in the next five years. Mallam Adamu Kontagora, the Alumni President, with the backing of Prof. Ahmed Mora, former president, can squeeze water from the rock. Please give ABU Zaria a respite in this financial emergency.
The unfinished task for Yayale is to keep Prof. Adamu and his team on their toes until they galvanize all available resources to consolidate ABU Zaria into the most cosmopolitan breeding ground for nationalists and intellectuals, as envisioned by its founding fathers. The diligent Yayale is more than capable of the task. May the Almighty see them through; amen. The second unfinished task is leading the government delegation to resolve the over-decade-long FGN-ASUU crisis. It is more arduous than the first one.
The task involved reviewing the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement. Between 2021 and 2022, the FGN established two successive negotiation committees. The first committee was led by Prof. Munzali Jibrin, a learned professor, who tirelessly negotiated with ASUU for several consecutive months and produced a comprehensive report with recommendations to finally and permanently resolve challenges in the university system sustainably. For unexplained reasons, the report was discarded. The FGN established a new negotiation committee (without regard for Munzali’s report), under the late Prof. Brigg, Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Similarly, Brigg’s committee did an excellent job and submitted a well-crafted report for the sustainable resolution of the university crisis. However, the hawks in the FGN were uninterested in resolving the situation and pressured the government to discard the report. In 2023, a change in government prompted the formation of Yayale’s team in October 2024 to address the contentious issues within three months. The team has since completed its assignment, but is waiting for the government’s response for further action.
This is the most critical stage in resolving the FNG-ASUU crisis, which requires Yayale’s diligent and careful handling to prevent the crisis from escalating. On Friday, 23rd May, 2025, ASUU president, Prof. Chris Piwuna, addressed a press conference in Abuja, where he said “the union was frustrated by the government’s failure to resolve nine critical issues that have long plagued Nigeria’s public universities”
At this stage, it is only the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, a patriot and stateman in his own right, who can salvage the situation. We may recall that President Tinubu, during his electioneering campaign, promised to bring an end to perennial ASUU strikes for the betterment of the system. It is now an opportunity to fulfil that promise.
Mr. President, Sir, the need to enhance the salaries of academic staff cannot be overstated. There are two distressing stories of professors trending: one professor engages in petty trading, selling tomatoes, peppers, and onions to supplement his meager salary for survival.
Another professor is seeking N13 million in donations to cover medical bills. At the same time, yet another has died because the financial assistance from friends and associates was too little and arrived too late to alleviate his illness, causing him to pass away. This is a shameful narrative for academics in Nigeria, and Mr. President can change it for the better. May God grant him wisdom and the political will to do so, amen.
As a key stakeholder in Nigeria’s educational system, I am passionately appealing to the President to fast-track the release and implementation of Yayale’s negotiating report to halt the decay of university education. As mentioned by Piwuna, “Education empowers citizens, drives innovation, and instills values. Without it, development is impossible, and our universities should be centres for solutions to national challenges”. Yes, as written repeatedly in my column, “Without sound university education, the nation is doomed to remain in abject poverty, squalor, and tumultuous social crisis for self-inflicting injuries.” Certainly, the perilous crimes of insurgency and banditry we witness today have their roots in the lack of education.
Finally, I called on all men and women of good conscience to pray and support Yayale in completing his unfinished tasks, so that the university system may progress to an enviable position in Africa, nay, the world.
