By Daniel Tyokua
The minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello has urged the Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Prof. Kabir Bala to pursue the options of individual and corporate endowments as a means of enhancing funding for the institution.
He stated this when a delegation from the University led by the Vice Chancellor paid a courtesy visit to the FCT Administration, recently.
While responding to the issue of alumni support through endowment raised by the Vice Chancellor, Malam Bello said it was an option that had not been fully implemented and encouraged the Vice Chancellor to fully exploit its possibilities and potentials.
Bello said, “The issue of university funding came up at a forum and alumni support was very prominent. This included endowments by people who are well to do and endowments by companies.
“I think it’s not something that has been well implemented and I’m sure that during your tenure, if you continue the way you are doing, you will encourage more people through the way of endowment for educational institutions to give back, as part of giving back to the society”.
The Minister said that the FCT Administration will also explore the option of working closely with the Consultancy Services arm of the University for the provision of needed professional expertise. He said “There are lots of areas where we need expertise and I’m sure you will have it, whether it’s in survey, town planning, urban renewal and so on”
On his part, the Vice Chancellor said that the FCT Minister was one of the most distinguished members of the institution’s alumni and the meeting was intended to reach out to members such as him.
He said, “We are lucky to have distinguished members of Alumni in this country and in diaspora and they are major stakeholders. Alumni anywhere in the world are major stakeholders of universities and the Hon. Minister happens to be one of those distinguished members of alumni of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria”.
The VC admitted that the University has not kept close contacts and communications with its alumni whom he described as major stakeholders in the university and that when he assumed office a year ago he decided to redress this by keeping close contacts with this important stakeholder group.
