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