The Gombe State University on Thursday, 4th December 2025, hosted the third edition of the Abdullahi Mahadi Annual Memorial Lecture, featuring former INEC Chairman and Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, CON, as the guest lecturer. The event, held at the GSU’s Haruna Kadir Hall, Main Campus, drew prominent academics, government officials, traditional rulers and members of the university community in honour of the late pioneer Vice Chancellor, Professor Abdullahi Mahadi.
Representing Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya as Special Guest, the Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Manassah Daniel Jatau,conveyed the governor’s goodwill and explained the governor’s absence due to official engagements in Abuja. The Deputy Governor described both the guest lecturer and the honouree as exceptional personalities whose contributions to national development and the growth of higher education remain unmatched.
He praised Prof. Mahadi as “a humble, disciplined, and unassuming leader whose sacrifices and influence shaped institutions,” adding that in nearly seven decades of life, he had rarely encountered a personality of such distinction. The deputy governor commended the relevance of the lecture topic—Challenges and Prospects of Improving University Governance in Nigeria—noting that universities, like all organisations, face inevitable challenges requiring visionary and effective leadership.
He stressed that universities must remain innovative, resilient, adaptive and responsive to societal needs, especially in the face of funding constraints and increasing student enrolment. Dr. Jatau urged universities to diversify their revenue sources, warning that waiting solely for government funding was like to “waiting for a train that will not come.” He advised the university to compile all past lectures into a single publication for research and documentation purposes.
The Chairman of the Occasion and Vice Chancellor of Federal University Kashere, Prof. Umar Aliyu Pate, said sustaining initiatives such as the Mahadi Lecture Series was crucial to preserving institutional memory. He commended the university for keeping the legacy of Prof. Mahadi alive.
In his comprehensive lecture, Prof. Attahiru Mohammadu Jega traced the evolution of universities from medieval Europe to the modern era, comparing experiences in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. He explained how civic universities in the UK and public/state universities in the US became centres of innovation, research and community development.
Turning to Nigeria, Jega noted the rapid expansion from a single university in 1948 to 309 by 2025—74 federal, 67 state and 168 private institutions. Despite the growth, he highlighted deep-rooted governance challenges ranging from poor leadership recruitment and inadequate funding to weak accountability, corruption, political interference and strained relations among councils, management and unions. These challenges, he warned, have left staff demoralised, students frustrated and infrastructure decaying.
Prof. Jega recommended sweeping reforms, including transparent leadership recruitment, strengthened institutional autonomy, participatory governance, improved funding and better regulation of private universities. He emphasised that effective governance remained the key to revitalising Nigerian universities and positioning them as engines of national development.
In his welcome remarks, the host Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sani Ahmed Yauta, said the lecture series was instituted to honour the legacy of Prof. Abdullahi Mahadi, whose foundational work shaped GSU into a strong academic institution. He described Mahadi as a visionary historian and administrator whose “imprint is permanently carved into the foundations of the university.”
The Chairman of the University Ceremony Committee, Prof. Mohammed Gurama Dukku, explained that December was chosen for the annual lecture because Prof. Mahadi was born and died in that month. He described him as a scholar, environmentalist, teacher and father figure whose legacy deserved continuous celebration.
In his short remarks, the Elder son of the Late Prof. Abdullahi Mahadi,Major General Isa Abdullahi Mahadi,represented by colonel Swobor Omomoimi Beke,expressed his profound gratitude to the Gombe State University, for consistently organising such memorial lecture in honour of his late father and wished to be sustained.
He presented an undisclosed token amount as a support to the Mahadi Foundation.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Dr. Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, represented by Alhaji Umaru Abubakar,the Madakin Gombe, Dr. Hamidu Bobboyi; Former UBEC Executive Secretary; and a Senior Assistant Registrar of GSU, Yakubu Adamu, a physical challenge person,who spoke emotionally on the personal and institutional contributions of the late professor,describing the charitable impacts of the pioneering GSU Vice Chancellor especially on the disabled persons.
The Registrar of GSU, Dr. Abubakar Bafeto, delivered the vote of thanks, expressing profound appreciation to the governor, deputy governor, Prof. Jega, invited guests and all stakeholders who contributed to the success of the event.
The lecture reinforced the enduring legacy of Prof. Abdullahi Mahdi and renewed calls for deep reforms to strengthen university governance in Nigeria.
The event was under the watch of Chief of Staff Government House, Alhaji Abubakar Inuwa Kari,Gombe State Grand Khadi Alhaji Usman Maikano,Heads of Parastatal and Security Agencies as well as Permanent Secretary to the Deputy Governor’s Office,Mrs Larai Yari among others.
Jack A.Tasha,
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity,
(Deputy Governor’s Office)
