Na’Allah: Raising The Bar In University Of Abuja

The University of Abuja is benefitting from the verse knowledge and experience of Prof. Na’Allah as he turns around the fortune of the institution


Goldfish, the saying goes, have no hiding place; it can easily be detected and identified even in the midst of many fishes. The case of Professor Abdul’Rasheed Na’Allah, an erudite scholar, administrator and Vice Chancellor of University of Abuja aptly exemplified the above saying.

Within his four years stint as the Chief Executive Officer of the University, he has raised the bar of academic excellence in the citadel of learning. The same trends that have made him remain a hero in Kwara State University even after leaving the University for more than four years now. His legacy projects and remarkable achievements still stands out in the institution better known as Centre of Community Development and Entrepreneurship.

Na’Allah, the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University (KWASU), having served out two terms of five years each in the university was rewarded with a higher appointment in the only Federal University at the Federal Capital Territory as the 6th Vice Chancellor of the University based on his achievements and enviable record at KWASU.

While briefing the media as part of the event marking his four years in office as the Vice Chancellor of the University, Na’Allah explained that the university will soon commence new academic programmes on Nuclear Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Railway Engineering, Mining and Geology as well as Tourism and Hospitality Management. According to him, the institution is awaiting the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC) before the take-off of the new programmes.

Speaking on the positive turn of events in the University since he assumed office as Vice Chancellor, Prof Na’Allah attributed it to hard work and passionate commitment to set goals, saying, before his coming, the institution was almost overwhelmed with several challenges including poor students’ welfare, dilapidated infrastructure, among others, even as its centre of distance learning was at the verge of closure. “Our goal is to reposition the University to be a global University that produces students to be global citizens. “I am happy that in four years, we have been able to make a major move. I am not saying we have achieved everything, but I am humble to say we have been able to change the story of University of Abuja. You can no longer call us a glorified secondary school, even if you call it so, some people will tell you that you don’t know what you are talking about. “You will no longer say our students are not global citizens because in addition to the primary courses and programmes they are doing which have been upgraded largely, many of them are doing programme in Japanese, Portuguese, amongst other foreign languages. “We employ our students and pay them stipends. We give students grants to do research. “When I came in, we didn’t even have a clear stadium but now, we have stadium, we just finished the indoor sports hall. We are starting the construction of mini stadium in our university,” Prof Na’Allah said.

The Vice Chancellor also revealed that the University is rolling out a programme that will take a number of students outside the shores of the country, adding that it testified to the stronger academic development recorded in University of Abuja within the last four years, which has also resulted in many lecturers securing several international grants for scholarly works.

On the new academic programmes, the VC said the University is collaborating with relevant bodies and industries to ensure their innovative take-off. For Railway Engineering, “we are collaborating with the Chinese government. They picked University of Abuja for Luban workshop. We are working with them to start Railway Engineering; they have given us enormous equipment,” he said, adding that many University of Abuja’s staff have also been trained.

Speaking further, Prof Na’Allah said over 1,000 students of the institution have registered their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as part of the initiatives put in place to encourage self-reliance and job creation, adding that a solid relationship has also been created with the industry. His words: “The industries are constantly working with us and every time we are always seeing something new. One of the newest things, for example, this time around is that more than 1,000 students have registered their companies with CAC. “Students having companies is incredible and these students some of them are graduating, some are in 300 level with opportunities to even practice the companies that they registered.

“And what we are saying to our students is that we are not only giving you certificates to go and look for employment, we are charging you to employ yourself and create wealth. We are charging our students to change their mindset and not think that government is there.” On the various infrastructural projects going on in the campus, including central laboratory, stadium, students’ hostels, additional staff quarters, among others, the Vice Chancellor assured that many would be completed within the next one year. One of the intriguing achievements of Na’Allah is the discipline he has instituted in the University especially as it pertains the dressing code of the students. Unlike in some higher institutions where students dress as they like, the reverse is the case in Uni-Abuja. Right from the gate of the school, any student that did not dress decently will be refused entrance to the school. That’s a novel initiative which was personally witnessed by this writer.

On academic discipline, cultism and other social vices previously prevalent in the institution, is now a thing of the past, as series of workshops, talk shops, awareness and symposium along with collaborations with relevant agencies to sensitize students had reverted the system to normalcy. Moreover, the school authority had designed a communication channel for students to report cases of sexual harassment and other unethical acts by lecturers.

In an earlier interview with this magazine, when asked on how he will be remembered after his tenure at University of Abuja; Na’Allah explained, thus: “I want to be remembered as a typical boy from Ilorin who came into the University system and played his part, who understood clearly what it requires to develop a global citizen, somebody who accepts to lay the foundation for a University to grow, but will continue to work up to the top of educational system.”

Prof. Na’Allah, a literary giant of international repute has proven to be a super administrator who bestrides the ivory towers like a colossus with his array of ideas that are not in short supply.