BOSU: A Fast-Growing State University in Nigeria

By: Balami Lazarus. 

State universities are emerging on the educational and academic map of Nigeria to quench the taste of knowledge in order to contribute to nation-building in teaching and learning to improve the standard and quality of education and research, hence quality educational service delivery in their full-baked products, graduates. 

Borno State has suffered the devastating blows of the insurgents, and insecurity challenges are the major concern of the state. However, to address these challenges, the state remains focused on her pursuits for higher education. The government established Borno State University in Maiduguri (B0SU). And recently, NEWSng was invited along with some newsmen by the Information and Public Relations Department of the university, headed by Mr. Garkuwa Mohammed, for a valiant speech and press conference by the outgoing vice chancellor, a fine scholar of repute, Prof. Umar Kyari Sandabe, who has made his mark in Bosu. 

The university was established by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in 2016 but began her academic activities of teaching and learning on March 7, 2019, focusing on objectives, especially her vision of “to be a first-rate institution anchored on and defined by excellence in teaching, learning, research, and innovation, as well as outstanding service delivery for the growth and development of society.” 

Interestingly, Bosu has good academic infrastructure that speaks volumes within the span of five years of her academic activities from the 17th October 2019/2020 session with thirty academic programs in four facilities, namely: Arts and Education, Social and Management Sciences, and Faculty of Science, with 647 matriculated students in various departments studying for their degree courses. 

The pioneering Vice Chancellor, Prof. Umar Kyari Sandabe, and his management team have made it possible for the university to scale up the needed standard requirements of National Universities Commissions (NUC) accreditation for all the academic courses to fully commence, especially the College of Medical and Health Sciences that was approved last year (2023) to run MBSS, Radiography, Physiotheraphy, Biochemistry, Medical Laboratory Science, and Health Information Management System. 

Prof. Sandabe’s five-year tenure has also made the university a hub of academic activities and an oasis of teaching, learning, research, and innovation, with a harvest of rich lecturers with the core objective of molding and grooming students in character and in learning. 

Every member of the academic section of the university, in her wisdom, meets from time to time with staff and the student body with the aim of maintaining a standard of academic excellence, discipline, and a good moral standard. Therefore, Bosu, as a community, has a tight security system in place. NEWSng observed that everyone is security conscious, with ears and eyes to the ground. 

The university has achieved what some universities, both state and federal, could not achieve in terms of academic programs and infrastructure—some completed, some ongoing. The College of Medical and Health Sciences, Mechanical Workshop, Entrepreneurship Center, and Mass Communication Studio were all completed. NEWSng was among the team of journalists for the on-the-spot assessment of these academic facilities. 

The secret to and beauty of Borno State University Maiduguri lies “in her mission and the progressive-minded management team under the leadership of Prof. Umar Kyari Sandabe,” said one staff member. Her mission is “to serve as an institution for intellectual development whose ideals are to train men and women to acquire appropriate skills, abilities, and competence, both mental and physical, as well as inculcating the right type of values and attitudes for the well-being of society in general.”. 

Therefore, the mission is clearly expressed and captured in her Moto, written in Arabic as “Al-ilmu laisa lahu hudud,” translated as knowledge has no boundaries. This is why Bosu was able to spread, register, and announce her presence among her finely baked graduates, who came from various states of the federation. 

Impressively, Bosu has established academic relationships and partnerships with some universities, both home and abroad, such as the University of Lagos, the University of Ibadan, the Obafemi Awolowo University of Ife, and the University of Maidugur. Across the shores are the Alliance of Islamic Universities of Africa in Pakistan and the State University of Bangladesh. We are facilitating with the recently appointed acting vice chancellor, Prof. Haruna Dantoro Dlakwa.

BOSU: A Fast-Growing State University in Nigeria

Al Ansar University Maiduguri: An opinion in the contrary

By Balami Lazarus.

Universities are centers of teaching, learning, and research to improve the quality of life for human capital growth and development.

However, while it should be acknowledged by those standards, many people, particularly in Nigeria, are taking a religious perspective to fill the gap in their opinion of certain universities across the country.

NEWSng was in Maiduguri recently and took time to visit some higher institutions, particularly Al Ansar University, the first private institution in the state. The discovery was touching, contrary to some opinions in the state.

Speaking of universities in Maidtguri, Al Ansar University is seen and wrongly referred to as an Islamic university by measure and standard, but this is not the case with Al Ansar University.

Al Ansar is Arabic, translated simply as the”helpers” or “those who bring victory.” But the view, opinion, or impression of the people is rather lacking in the meaning of the Arabic words.

NEWSNG, as usual, made an attempt to reveal the truth about this conventional university of universal standards in character, teaching, learning, research, and academic pursuits, where it recently offered admission to some selected brilliant students on full scholarship from the Borno State Government courtesy of His Excellency Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, the Executive Governor of the State.

Speaking on the university, the Vice Chancellor, a respected scholar and university administrator, Prof. Abubakar Musa Kundiri, said that the wrong opinions expressed about the university by members of the public did not actually represent the truth about the institution.

“We are not as the members of the public see and consider us. Al Ansar is like any other conventional university running accredited academic programs you might think of. I think people should not judge a book by its cover.” He said.

Al Ansar University Maiduguri: An opinion in the contrary

Borno State University admits first set of medical students

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Borno State University has matriculated its first set of medical students in its five years of academic history.

Making his remarks during the fifth matriculation of the institution recently, the Vice Chancellor (VC) Professor Umar Sandabe stated that during the 2022/2023 academic session, the University applied to the National Universities Commission (NUC) to establish Bachelor of Medicine and surgery (MBBS).

The fifth matriculation also had an array of students for the course of Doctor of Physiotherapy, Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of medical laboratory Science (BMLS), Bachelor of Radiography and Bachelor of health information management systems (BHIMS).

Other courses approved by the Senate included, Bachelor of Arts in history and Bachelor of Arts in Arabic, the Bachelor of science Biochemistry and the institution of Education.

The VC said that 2,400 students were admitted with 174 coming in through direct entry while jamb admitted 2226 from Borno and all the states of the Federation.

A break down of those who matriculated include 88 with the faculty of Agriculture, 774 in science, 631 Arts and education 527 with management science and 380 in the College of health sciences.

The outgoing VC used the occasion to announce that the institution has graduated its first set of 510 graduates who are already collecting their statement of results pending departure to the national youth service Corp (nysc).

Sandabe said that the University has completed and commissioned the mass communication studio which would give rise to the launch of its radio station soonest.

Other structures completed are the College of Health sciences and its being furnished and some lecture halls which will soon be commissioned.

On accommodations, he said that a new female hostel is been built to complement the existing one in a bid to accommodate more students on campus to ease their burdens on where to stay during sessions.

“At the temporary library site, we started with zero book and the library is now boasting with about 18,000 books with 700 volumes of journals with a very robust e-library with six data bases” said Sandabe.

Borno State University admits first set of medical students