Gombe State Governor and Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Muhammadu Yahaya, has paid glowing tribute to the University of Maiduguri as the institution marks its 50th anniversary.
In a goodwill message delivered on his behalf by the Secretary to Government of Gombe State and former Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Ibrahim Njodi, the governor joined Nigerians across the country in celebrating the golden jubilee of the premier institution in the North-East.
The governor praised the university’s five decades of unwavering commitment to academic excellence and national development.
Yahaya who chaired the 25th Combined Convocation Lecture, commended the management and staff of the university for remaining steadfast despite the security challenges that have affected Borno State and the broader North-East region.
He lauded their resilience in sustaining academic activities in the face of adversity.
While introducing the convocation lecturer, Professor Suleiman Elias Bogoro, the former Executive Secretary of TETFund, Professor Njodi reflected on their collaboration during his tenure as Vice Chancellor.
He recalled how strategic partnerships with TETFund facilitated major infrastructural developments in the university, including the Senate Building and Professors’ Quarters. He described Professor Bogoro as a distinguished alumnus whose contributions have significantly shaped the institution’s growth.
Speaking on the resilience theme of the lecture, Yahaya recounted the difficult years of insurgency when the university community collectively resolved not to shut down the institution, insisting that doing so would have amounted to conceding victory to the anti-education ideology of Boko Haram. He said their determination to keep the university open remained a defining moment in Unimaid’s history.
Delivering the lecture titled “The Role of Education as the Anchor for Resilience and Competitiveness Towards Sustainable Development in a Disrupted Economy,” Professor Bogoro highlighted education as a critical catalyst for national stability, innovation, and long-term development.
He expressed gratitude to the university for the honour of chairing the convocation lecture and assured the audience that the guest lecturer had done justice to the timely and insightful topic.
The governor’s representative was accompanied to the event by the Commissioner for Higher Education, Mohammed Shetima Gadam; the Permanent Secretary, General Duties and Principal Private Secretary to the Governor, Professor Muazu Shehu; and a Director from the Ministry of Higher Education.
By JD IO, SGS Office
