BUK SUG Transition: 57th Administration Hands Over to 58th with Landmark Legacy of Student Welfare

The Students’ Union Government, Bayero University, Kano, officially transitioned power from the 57th Administration to the 58th Administration through the Caretaker Committee (CTC) on Wednesday 28th January, 2026, during a formal swearing-in ceremony held at the Convocation Arena, New Campus.

The Handover Address by the 57th SUG President, Comr. Abdullahi Usman Baba:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

It is with total submission to the will of the Almighty, the All-Knower—He who gives the mantle of leadership to whom He wants and when He wants—that I stand before you today. I do so with a profound sense of duty and responsibility, as this marks the final time I will officially address the public as your SUG President.

Our journey was one marked by both daunting challenges and significant milestones. It was a journey we undertook with the highest regard for the cause that gave us this mandate. From our very first day to this final hour, we stood firm in our objectives. Every decision made and every action taken by this administration was done in the best interest of the students who trusted us, guided by the sacred principle: "For the students, and by the students."

As we officially bow out as the 57th Administration, let us reflect on the impactful legacy we leave behind:

Effective communication and transparency are key determinants of good leadership. In view of that, we launched the PRO's forum, SUG Weekly and Special Bulletins, and official SUG-BUK social media pages across all platforms for effective dissemination of information and transparent administration.

1. On Advocacy: In our first official meeting with the Vice-Chancellor, we requested the installation of solar lights across the hostels and other strategic dark spots in the university, which the former VC approved, leading to installations across most hostels and locations—an initiative aimed at providing a more secure and conducive living environment (we hope that the current administration will continue with this). Through the Office of the S.A. on Student Matters to the Governor, we advocated for the construction of overhead pedestrian bridges—one at Newsite, currently under construction, and the other at Oldsite (a continuation of the struggles of my previous comrades, like Comr. Danladi). One of the pressing issues we encountered was the intra-campus transportation issue. We advocated for alternatives to the suspended bike men, resulting in the initial provision of 20 tricycles, later supplemented by another 20.

   At the peak of hostel scarcity, we pleaded with management for the conversion of one of the male hostels to accommodate female students, which was graciously approved, leading to the conversion of the N-block hostel on the old campus.

2. On Academics: We organized tutorial programs for various courses for students across the four campuses at different levels.

3. On Scholarships: We launched the SUG Indigent Scholarship for students on the verge of dropping out, carefully selecting those in need. We also secured scholarships worth over ₦70 million, which the students of BUK will continue to benefit from for the next 10 years. Other scholarships include support from our philanthropists, and we successfully advocated for the payment of best student awards, which was approved.

4. On Students’ Welfare: We performed routine reservoir cleaning, purchased switches for the submersible borehole, and replaced spoiled tap heads across the campuses. All these efforts tackled the issue of persistent water outages, especially during examination periods. Alhamdulillah, during our time in office, there was almost no water issue on the campuses.

5. On Students’ Empowerment: We organized a Youth Innovation and Investment Summit, where we brought experts from Lagos, held a student savings challenge, and facilitated debt management workshops with Palm Pay. We provided ICT skills (certification) through the Kano State Government, hosted sessions on menstrual hygiene, and distributed free ice blocks during the fasting period. Our BUK Trading and Investment Summit saw popular and successful traders from Africa in attendance.

6. On Health: We advocated for routine fumigation exercises and improved service delivery at the school clinics, which were our focal points in every meeting with management.

7. On Environmental Sanitation: We conducted sanitation programs across the campuses periodically to clear bushes, performed routine reservoir cleaning, and maintained constant communication with university health services to ensure timely refuse clearance and disposal around our hostel areas.

8. On Sports: We organized the SWEP Cup, interstate competitions, and facilitated inter-faculty sports competitions. During our tenure, we achieved notable medals and accolades at various inter-university competitions, such as NUGA.

9. On Social Activities: When we came on board, there were no functional common rooms across the four campuses. However, through constant advocacy, our common rooms are now operational.

   We welcomed new students with a Freshers Nexus, then proceeded with the historic and first-of-its-kind BUK Grand Cultural Carnival, where different tribes passionately participated and represented their cultures, attracting the attention of international communities. We wrapped it up with Students' Week—a full week of non-stop entertainment, including symposiums, custom days, a special needs day, a jersey day, a food festival, and a dinner and award night.

10. Other Initiatives: When we took office, the SUG Secretariat lacked electricity. We initiated renovations, and now, it has electricity for at least 10 hours daily.

11. We launched the SUG Task Force, an initiative aimed at strengthening SUG activities, prioritizing security, general welfare of the students, academic excellence, environmental sanitation, and price regulation of goods on our campuses. We introduced subsidized data initiatives at the hostels and organized a Nelfund technical workshop and sensitization program to address student-related issues concerning Nelfund.

In closing our administration, we launched the very first student engagement on SUG Capital Projects—an initiative in line with the "for the students, by the students" mandate to engage students directly and gather their opinions on what projects are most needed. The engagement took place over two days across the four campuses, after which we consulted relevant stakeholders, carefully selecting the most significant projects.

1. Students Hub, providing space for over 60 students at a time, for both reading and relaxation, day and night.

2. Reservoir covers.

3. Reservoir rehabilitation at AKTH campus.

4. Benches for Ramat and Gambo reading rooms and the SCE common room.

5. Solar lights at our reading rooms—making reading more convenient throughout the night.

6. Concrete chairs.

7. Canopy and streetlights at the old campus.

8. Faculty mirrors.

9. Rehabilitation of the ablution center at the Faculty of Agriculture.

All these achievements wouldn't have been possible without the trust of the students and the continued support of the university management, my executives, my key appointees, the leadership of the SRA, and numerous stakeholders.

I must commend and appreciate the guidance and support of Prof. Haruna Musa, fsi—the current Vice-Chancellor; Prof. Sagir Adamu Abbas, the immediate past Vice-Chancellor; Prof. Ridwan Bunza, Dean of Students Affairs; and Prof. Shamsuddeen Umar, the immediate past Dean of Students Affairs.

Special appreciation goes to the Director of MSD—Engr. Bashir, the Directors of Security (current and former), and my most active and hardworking exco—Abubakar Salisu Kazaure (PRO) and the entire members of the 57th Executive Council.

I would also like to express gratitude to the backbone of our administration, Ibrahim Suleiman—Chief of Staff; my protocol staff; my governors; my P.As; and all other appointees. Additionally, to the leadership of the parliament and to the staff of the Students Affairs Offic