Education
Popular Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, to receive Harvard University’s W.E.B Du Bois Medal
Popular Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, to receive Harvard University’s W.E.B Du Bois Medal
Award-winning Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is set to receive Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medal on October 6.
The W. E. B. Du Bois Medal which is Harvard’s highest honour in the field of African and African American studies marks another return to Harvard for Chimamanda, who was the Harvard College Class Day Speaker in 2018 and was previously a Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellow (2011-2012).
The Hutchins Center for African and African American Research announced in The Harvard Gazette that Chimamanda, alongside six other honourees, will receive the medal as people “who embody the values of commitment and resolve that are fundamental to the Black experience in America”. Other honourees include basketball legend, cultural critic, and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; and ground-breaking actress Laverne Cox.
University Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., director of the Hutchins Center, in an official statement, said this year’s honourees represent an “unyielding commitment to pushing the boundaries of representation and creating opportunities for advancement and participation for people who have been too often shut out from the great promise of our times.”
Chimamanda has received global recognition for her work, which has been translated into over thirty languages and won numerous awards and prizes.
She occupies a unique position combining a number of attributes.
The New York Times T Magazine in its 2017 ‘Greats’ issue, described her as ‘one of those rarest of people: a celebrated novelist who has also become a leading public intellectual’.
Chimamanda is also a fashion and beauty icon and continuously promotes Nigerian designers, including through her ‘Wear Nigerian’ initiative.
She was selected as the face of beauty brand Boots No7 and has been featured in numerous style publications including Vanity Fair’s ‘International Best-Dressed List and on the covers of British Vogue and Marie Claire Brazil amongst others.
Barack Obama called her “one of the world’s great contemporary writers”; and Hillary Clinton has written that “she has the rare ability, to sum up even the biggest societal problems swiftly and incisively”.
In 2018, she was awarded the PEN Pinter Prize, named after Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter, given annually to a writer of “outstanding literary merit who shows a fierce intellectual determination.” She chose to share the Pinter prize with imprisoned Saudi lawyer and human rights activist Waleed Abulkhair.
She was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2015, and Fortune Magazine named her one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders in 2017. In 2018, she received the Global Hope Coalition’s Thought Leadership Award and the Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award.
Chimamanda has received 16 honorary doctorate degrees from some of the world’s leading universities and is a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The W. E. B. Du Bois Medal is Harvard’s highest honour in the field of African and African American studies.
It is awarded to individuals in the United States and across the globe in recognition of their contributions to African and African American culture and the life of the mind.
Recipients have included scholars, artists, writers, journalists, philanthropists, and public servants whose work has bolstered the field of African and African American studies. Past recipients include Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Muhammad Ali, Steven Spielberg, Ava Duvernay, and Chinua Achebe.
Popular Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, to receive Harvard University’s W.E.B Du Bois Medal
Education
Breaking News: Less Than 48 Hours After ₦100 Million Endowment, Summit University Secures Full ICAN Accreditation for Accounting Programme
Breaking News: Less Than 48 Hours After ₦100 Million Endowment, Summit University Secures Full ICAN Accreditation for Accounting Programme
By: Michael Mike
In a momentous week for Summit University, Offa, the institution has recorded a double milestone that cements its position as a rising star in Nigeria’s higher education landscape. Less than 48 hours after receiving a transformative ₦100 million endowment from the Isiaq Family Foundation (IFF) to boost accounting education, the University has secured full accreditation for its Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Accounting programme from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
This landmark accreditation follows the recommendation of the Students’ Affairs Committee and was formally approved by the Council of the Institute, having confirmed that the University met all stipulated criteria for assessment. The next accreditation visit by ICAN is scheduled for the 2027/2028 academic session.
The announcement comes as a proud validation of the University’s commitment to academic and professional excellence. It confirms that the Accounting programme at Summit University has not only achieved national benchmarks but is poised to produce graduates who are fully equipped for global relevance in the dynamic world of finance and accounting.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abiodun Musa Aibinu, praised the timing and significance of the dual developments. “This is divine alignment. The recognition by ICAN, coming so soon after the extraordinary endowment by the Isiaq Family Foundation, sends a clear message that Summit University is on the path of greatness. These back-to-back milestones reinforce our resolve to deliver top-tier education and nurture future leaders in the accounting profession.”
Earlier this week, during the 11th Triennial Conference of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria held in Abeokuta, the Isiaq Family Foundation, led by Alhaji Kola Isiaq-Balogun, announced a ₦100 million endowment continue aimed at transforming accounting education at Summit University. The endowment includes annual scholarships for students, the establishment of a Professorial Chair in Accounting, a dedicated research grant, the development of an Accounting Technology Laboratory (AccTech Lab), and awards for the best graduating students. Provisions were also made for solar-powered energy and internet connectivity to support uninterrupted digital access for learning.
The dual developments have been hailed by the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, founders of the University, as a testament to their vision of academic and moral excellence. They reflect not only the growing confidence in the University’s academic direction but also the power of collaboration between philanthropic vision and institutional ambition.
Summit University stands proud in this historic moment—propelled by a generous endowment and fortified by national accreditation—ready to shape the future of accounting education in Nigeria and beyond. As part of its unwavering commitment to producing industry- and community-fitted graduates, the University prioritises the acquisition of seven transformative skills that define its unique educational model.
These include proficiency in ICT and Artificial Intelligence, deep understanding of Financial Literacy, and the nurturing of Acadopreneurship—an innovative blend of academic excellence and entrepreneurial thinking. Students are also grounded in history, heritage, and storytelling skills, empowered with knowledge in Clean and Renewable Energy, and cultivated to become responsible Global Citizens. Through this holistic approach, Summit University is not only building capable professionals but also shaping visionary leaders for national development and global relevance.
Breaking News: Less Than 48 Hours After ₦100 Million Endowment, Summit University Secures Full ICAN Accreditation for Accounting Programme
UNIMAID Student Drowns in Gwange River, Another Rescued
By: Zagazola Makama
A tragic drowning incident has claimed the life of a University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) student, while another was rescued after they went swimming at the Gwange River Bank in Maiduguri.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred on March 14, 2025, around 7:00 p.m., when two UNIMAID students, identified as Abafras Abdiel from the Department of Forestry and Silas Sule from the Department of Geology, went to the Gwange River Bank behind ECWA Church for a swim.
While diving, both students drowned in the river, prompting an emergency response. A combined rescue team, including the police, divers, and fire service personnel, was immediately mobilized to the scene.
The rescue team managed to retrieve both victims and rushed them to the State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri. While Abafras Abdiel was admitted for treatment, Silas Sule was unfortunately certified dead by doctors. His body has since been deposited at the hospital for autopsy and further investigations.
The authorities have urged students and residents to exercise caution when engaging in activities near water bodies, especially during the dry season, when river currents can be unpredictable.
UNIMAID Student Drowns in Gwange River, Another Rescued
Federal University Gusau: A 300-level student died in a bandit’s den in Zamfara
By: Our Reporter
This is truly heartbreaking. Zarah Abubakar Shehu, a 21-year-old 300-level student at Federal University Gusau, was abducted along with her two siblings by bandits in the early hours of Sunday, November 3, 2024, from their home in the Damba area of Gusau, Zamfara State.
The kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of ₦35 million for their release. After much struggle, the family managed to gather ₦10 million, which the kidnappers agreed to accept. However, even after receiving the money, they still refused to release Zarah. Instead, they demanded four motorcycles (Boza) and four cartons of engine oil.
Zarah and her siblings spent four months in captivity. When all the items were finally gathered, the kidnappers’ leader was informed. He then called his men to check on the captives. To everyone’s horror, his men responded that only two children remained; one of them, Zarah, had passed away and had already been buried two days earlier.
Zarah was the only daughter of her mother, making her loss even more devastating. Her passing is not just a tragedy for her family but a heartbreaking reflection of the ongoing insecurity in Zamfara State and the pain that countless families endure.
Federal University Gusau: A 300-level student died in a bandit’s den in Zamfara
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