By Abdul Lauya
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has attained its long-held vision of becoming a fully-fledged postgraduate institution, with a record 529 programmes and a postgraduate student population exceeding 7,000.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, made this known during the matriculation ceremony of newly admitted postgraduate students for the 2024/2025 academic session. He said the university had critically reviewed its postgraduate offerings to ensure they respond effectively to emerging societal challenges.
“With the highest postgraduate programmes totaling 529 and a total of over 7,000 postgraduate students, the university administration is fully aware of this eminent change,” Prof. Ahmed stated.
He revealed that the institution had renamed its School of Postgraduate Studies as “The Postgraduate College,” a move reflecting the strategic shift towards graduate-level education and research excellence.
Prof. Ahmed emphasized the administration’s commitment to timely graduation, pledging that mechanisms were in place to help students complete their studies within the stipulated period.
“University education is not just about knowledge acquisition, but also about responsibility,” he said, calling on students to contribute to a peaceful and stable academic environment.
The Vice-Chancellor added that the university was strengthening partnerships with industries and organizations to make its postgraduate training more entrepreneurial and industry-relevant.
In his welcome address, the Provost of the Postgraduate College, Prof. Mohammed Nasir Shuaibu, disclosed that ABU received 6,953 applications this session, with 5,384 candidates meeting the admission requirements.
Of these, 3,587 have been successfully screened and over 95 percent had completed registration.
The cohort includes 725 PhD students, 57 MPhil candidates, 2,558 Master’s degree students, and 371 professional doctorate students, further underscoring ABU’s expanding role in advanced academic training.
Also addressing the students were university officials including the Dean of Students, Prof. Sahalu Junaidu; Registrar, Malam Rabiu Samaila; Acting Chief Security Officer, Malam Ashiru Zango; and Director of University Health Services, Prof. M.M. Dauda, who all highlighted essential support services and institutional expectations.
The growing postgraduate profile of ABU positions the institution not only as a national academic hub but also as a strategic player in producing high-level manpower for Nigeria’s development.
