AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA AT 50: REALIZING THE VISION OF AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, WHERE ARE WE? INTRODUCTION It is necessary to evaluate an organization after many years of existence in order to assess the level of realization of the organization’s vision. This evaluation becomes more important when it involves an organization that has existed for a period of five decades i.e. fifty years of existence; half a century, tagged its Golden Jubilee. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria has just attained its fifty years of existence, thus there is need for such an evaluation that assesses the university’s strengths and weaknesses with a view to consolidating the strengths and marshalling and transforming the weaknesses into core competences and opportunities. The establishment of a university in a geographical region implies the all-round development of such an area and its people in all ramifications owing to the fact that a university is a citadel of knowledge and a place where men and women acquire knowledge to make them useful individuals to themselves and the society in general; for the advancement of the frontier of learning and the dissemination of knowledge. A university is an institution of higher education that offers programs beyond the high school level. It provides necessary training for individuals wishing to enter professional careers. It also strives to develop students’ creativity, insight, and analytical skills by acquainting students with complex ideas in an intellectually stimulating environment. Therefore, it is capable of providing unique opportunities for personal enrichment while also preparing students for future careers. This implies that the role of a university in the development of human society in all its ramifications cannot be underestimated. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria was formally opened for academic activities on the 4th October, 1962. The university is one of the few premier universities in Nigeria. It has currently attained its Golden Jubilee (50 years) of existence. For its fifty years of existence as a university, has it been able to attain its vision? And what is its current state of affairs? This essay focuses on these issues. Accordingly, the aim of this essay is to focus on the topic entitled: “Realizing the vision of Ahmadu Bello University, where are we? For the purpose of an organized presentation, this essay is structured into six sections. The first section is the introduction, the second section examines the vision and mission of the university, the third section views the achievements of the university, the fourth section discusses the problems facing the university, the fifth section focuses on the way forward towards the continual realization of Ahmadu Bello University’s vision while the last section is the conclusion of the essay. THE VISION AND MISSION OF AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY Ahmadu Bello University has promising vision and mission which are the objectives or tasks the university believes are its duty to carry out, thus anticipating future positive events and development. Thus, the vision of the university states that “Ahmadu Bello University shall be a world-class, apex university engage in imparting knowledge and learning to men and women of all races, using high quality facilities and multi-disciplinary approach. Through freedom of membership, inquiry, research, dynamic and interactive leadership and management, the university would be drawn into the full ferment of thought from which new knowledge comes; through high-calibre and motivated staff and students drawn from all parts of the world, and working together in an atmosphere of academic freedom and security, the university would maintain a high reputation for freedom and security and a high reputation for quality and institutional discipline true to its ideals and meanings. The university would reflect the needs, the traditions, the social and intellectual heritage of the land in which it is located by developing its own pattern to suit its present background and meet its future needs”. Besides, its mission is “to advance the frontiers of learning and break new grounds, through teaching, research and the dissemination of knowledge of the highest quality to establish and foster national and international integration, development and the promotion of African tradition and culture; to serve as a model and conscience of the society; to produce high-level human power and enhance capacity-building through retraining, in order to meet the need and challenges of the 21st century”. Having observed the vision and mission statements of the university, the question that comes to mind is how far has this vision been realized and where is the position of Ahmadu Bello University at the moment? To do justice to this pertinent question, there is need to examine the achievements of Ahmadu Bello University within its fifty years of existence. ACHIEVEMENTS OF AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY It is an indisputable fact that no writer can chronologically and exhaustively document the achievements of Ahmadu Bello University for the period spanning its 50 years of solid existence. This write-up therefore, focuses on some key achievements of the university in accordance with the aim of this essay. Ahmadu Bello University has grown tremendously during its fifty years of existence. The faculties and various departments have grown from strength to strength. Each department has achieved substantial distinction by its contributions to the current needs of society and to conventional scholarship. In terms of student population at the undergraduate, post-graduate and sub-degree programmes the university has made significant progress. The numbers of faculties, academic departments, research institutes and centres have also increased. The university has outreach stations located almost in every part of Nigeria. The growth of the university is so great and this has made it to be called the largest university south of the Sahara owing to its physical facilities and student enrolment. The university has achieved a landmark success in its provision of outstanding liberal education. The university has within its fifty years of existence been able to provide a liberal education with breadth, depth and integration in learning. Its liberal education provides the cultivation of those habits of intellectual and moral self-discipline that distinguish a mature individual. To these ends, Ahmadu Bello University has provided an education that fosters in students an open, inquiring and disciplined mind, well informed through broad exposure to basic areas of knowledge; an enthusiasm for life-long learning; self-confidence and self-knowledge; a respect for differing opinions and for free discussion of those opinions. The university has provided students the ability to use information logically and to evaluate experiences and knowledge of the physical, historical, social and cultural world. In return, this liberation gives an enlightened understanding of that which is singular, immediate and limited. Thus, the liberal education provided by the university thus far is relevant to the world in which students must live at the same time it maintains a certain detachment from that world. A liberal education that provides students with many options in the choice of their life’s work. The university provides a liberal education by its nature focusing on the continuing exercise of a critical and informed intellect; liberally educated persons demonstrate ability in the pursuit of specific occupation, understand and assume the responsibilities of citizenship. More so, Ahmadu Bello University for its fifty years period of existence has been developing its capacity in both teaching and research by expanding and redefining its programmes and upgrading its infrastructure in line with the national and international markets demands. It runs conventional courses in humanities, sciences, agriculture, medicine, engineering and management studies. The University has been rendering research and developmental services that transcend state and international boundaries. The above has made the university to attain a long tradition of preparing its students for various professions. It also has a deep respect for excellence in teaching and learning at all levels. It has shown commitment in its goals of fostering excellent teaching in its faculties and assisting its members to realize their full potentials. Effective teaching cannot be divorced from professional competence in the subject matter taught. The university has encouraged active scholarship, this is strongly encouraged, and the university commits itself to supporting this scholarship through the provision of time and resources. A primary commitment to the students’ intellectual development is complemented by recognition of students as whole persons living in a culturally diverse world. This has made the university to provide an environment that encourages physical well-being; opportunity for moral, social, religious and aesthetic growth; and encourage an expanding sense of responsibility and service to humanity. In accordance with world best practices, the university has established institutional linkages, exchanges, collaborative researches and mutual staff training agreements with some other local and international institutions. It has also mentored the formation of new institutions, through affiliations and staff exchange programmes. To its credit, for its fifty years of existence, Ahmadu Bello University has seen some of the most influential and important figure through its doors since it first opened. The university boasts some of the most exceptional academic achievements of any university in the world. Due to its outstanding reputation, Ahmadu Bello University attracts some of the world’s brightest minds. Thus, the university having existed for a period of positive fifty years is a giant among institutions of higher learning, not only in Nigeria but in the whole of Africa; a centre of excellence; a focus of national unity and human brotherhood and a name to reckon with. Ahmadu Bello University has been around for fifty years and in that time it has seen some amazing graduates. Having examined the university’s achievements for its 50 years of existence, there is need to consolidate these achievements. PROBLEMS FACING AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY It is pathetic to note that in spite of the exquisite achievements of the university examined above, the university is still bedeviled with some problems threatening the attainment of its vision. Thus, there is need for a balanced assessment of the university’s weaknesses with a view to marshalling and transforming the weaknesses into core competences and opportunities. Thus, Ahmadu Bello University, like any other university in the world is faced with some problems. The non-chalant attitude of some staff is a serious problem facing the university. A large number of people simply put up appearances at their offices to earn their salaries. They are not very interested in the quality of their output. Many senior academic staff, especially professors, simply leave their teaching to staff in training and to pursue personal engagements. Teaching and research services are neglected. The technologists who man the teaching and research laboratories virtually perform no functions as some of the Professors who normally generate the research activities in the laboratories are not available to do their jobs. The laboratories could actually be described as idle. Some cleaners and other junior staff who depend on taking directives from these absentee senior staff report to work to sit under tree shades. Some of the deans and directors do not provide the much needed academic and administrative leadership. They do not symbolize academic and intellectual excellence. Some heads of department have forgotten the fact that leadership carries with it grave responsibility to oneself, to the university, to the staff of the department and to students. Thus, they are often afraid to put down their feet and apply the regulations on erring staff, just because they want to be popular and get re-elected. Similar forms of indiscipline and criminality are also rampant among some registry, bursary, library and technical/technological staff. They engage in this kind of indiscipline; lawlessness and criminality, as well as their superiors and colleagues who tolerate it or maintain a cynical attitude to it, doing so because they all have come to believe that they are in the university to take out of the university as much as they can without doing any tangible work. Such staff believes that university property is theirs by right to steal; the only language they hear is money, allowances, subsidies, honoraria, loans among others. They completely fail to strike a balance between freedom and responsibility, rights and obligations, privilege and accountability. Inadequate capacity building and staff development programmes is another problem confronting the university. Adequate attention is often not given to the fact that capacity building and staff development are central to the emergence of a great university and its success. There is no gain saying that teaching is a primary responsibility of the university. What is obviously challenging, however, is the sharp decline especially in relation to method of delivery, dearth of pedagogical skills, competence, currency in and commitment to the subject-areas, poor attendance of lecturers, paucity of standard lecture notes and the scarcity of reading and study materials for students and staff. The over-stay of post-graduate students is another peculiar problem associated with the university. For instance, a situation where master students who enrolled for a two year master program end up spending six to seven years for a supposed two years master program is frustrating and in all aspects unacceptable. This tarnishes the university’s image. A combination of these problems makes learning uninspiring to students and goes a long way to militate against the attainment of the noble vision and mission of the university. THE WAY FORWARD TOWARDS CONTINUAL REALIZATION OF AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY’S VISION For the purpose of continual realization of Ahmadu Bello University’s vision, there is need for the university administration to proceed on the conviction that capacity building and staff development are central to the emergence of a great university and the success of its goals. In order to enhance these, the administration ought to recognize and proceed to turn into advantage the national and international diversity in the composition of the staff of the university their varied needs and the need to create and utilize training opportunities. There is also need to enhance teaching and learning through improved delivery modes and research facilities. Special attention needs to be given to improving teaching, learning and research facilities in most academic departments. The goal should be attainment of a substantial improvement in teaching, learning and research in the university and the creating of a solid foundation for qualitative academic activities. Furthermore, to overcome the rather insurmountable problems, there should be the production of a systematically designed course of action. There is need for the administration to try to live by example. Efforts should be made to generate funds internally, nationally and from international donor agencies. A framework should be put in place for future revenue generation, good governance, rule of law, infrastructural development, capacity building, academic excellence, gender equity and security. The university’s administration must embark on regular and consistent monitoring of staff, and enhancement of training and retraining of staff. Also in the faculties and institutes, deans and directors must provide the much needed academic and administrative leadership. They should symbolize academic and intellectual excellence. They must not fail to strike a balance between freedom and responsibility, rights and obligations, privilege and accountability, so that things would be put in their right perspectives. Heads of departments should remember that headship carries with it grave responsibility to oneself, to the university, to the staff of the department and to students. Heads of departments should therefore not be afraid to put down their feet and apply the regulations on erring staff. Also, the administration should pursue the reform of a variety of important instruments of administration to ensure compliance with due process. The need to review legal instruments and administrative procedures is also vital. This involves updating the laws, reformation of central administration and the consolidation of the committee system in the university. Importantly, the University should also seize the occasion of this unique Golden Jubilee as an opportunity to chart a new course to meet the ever increasing challenges of the 21st century, where production of human capital is the driving force for the knowledge-based economy and globalization. The best of universities are those engaged in production of knowledgeable and competitive human capital, imbued with the zeal and intellectual foresight for creativity and innovation to bring about social, economic and political transformation in their society. Besides, there is need for the university to revolve around the demarcation of functions responsibilities and powers. In order to ensure orderliness, compliance with due process, fairness, equity, and access, enabling documents need be produced and their contents strictly observed to provide the mechanisms and procedures for regulating performance and conduct, coordination, monitoring and implementation of activities and programmes. The importance of the enabling documents lies in their sustenance of a balance between participation and order, between discretion and law, between authority and community and between power and service. All these would go a long way to facilitate the realization of the university’s vision. CONCLUSION In conclusion, it is hoped that by learning from the achievements, problems and way forward examined above and building on its strength, the future of Ahmadu Bello University will contribute to the realization of that great vision of the university’s founding fathers to build a first class university in Zaria. Also, when contemplating its future, Ahmadu Bello University should perceive itself as an institution for more advanced work in teaching, research, and the application of technology in the services of the society. Quite justifiably, the university’s achievements in its fifty years of existence as enumerated above, have led to wide spread and high expectations about what the university should do to ensure that the world in general, and Nigeria in particular develop the high level manpower and the research and development capacity needed to cope with the challenges of the highly competitive and demanding world of the 21st century. Nigerians expect that, having existed for fifty years, Ahmadu Bello University is matured, experienced and competent enough to show the light and lead the way for other universities to follow in the production of quality degree level manpower and the conduct of scientific research at all levels, including the most advanced. Therefore, the university must continue to soar high to greater heights for the purpose of lofty and greater achievements and the realization of its noble vision. By: Inobeme, Jonathan 08054500196 E-mail Address: firstclass4real@gmail
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 07:04:31 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015