MAU Yola Pro-Chancellor Commends VC’s Visionary Leadership and Self-Sustainability Initiatives During Facility Tour

The newly appointed Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Modibbo Adama University Yola, Dr. Abiodun Ishola Isma'il Layonu, SAN, has commended the Vice-Chancellor of the institution Prof. Ibrahim Umar for his visionary management style and action following a familiarisation visit that featured an extensive two days tour of key facilities across the institution.

Dr. Layonu, who took over from his predecessor, H.E Alhaji Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi (Dallatun Zamfara) was received with an elaborate welcome by the University Management, Senate, staff, and students, in an event that combined a formal address by the Vice-Chancellor with an interactive session and a guided tour of the campus.

In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ibrahim Umar described the visit as the beginning of a productive and transformative relationship between the Governing Council and University Management. 

He used the occasion to give the Pro-Chancellor an overview of the institution's history, noting that the University was established in 1981 by the Federal Government evolving from the Federal University of Technology to Modibbo Adama University of Technology, and now Modibbo Adama University, Yola. 

He highlighted that the institution has grown into a comprehensive university with eleven faculties, alongside a College of Medical Sciences, a College of Postgraduate Studies, and several specialised centres.

The Vice-Chancellor also took the opportunity to brief the Pro-Chancellor on the achievements recorded under his administration, particularly in the area of staff welfare. He disclosed that within the first year in office, all inherited staff allowances, including academic, earned, and promotion-related allowances, had been fully cleared, stressing that no staff member is currently owed any legitimate entitlement. 

He further outlined welfare initiatives such as interest-free loans, burial financial support for staff, promotion of junior staff to senior cadre who have acquired higher qualifications, and TETFund-sponsored training that has so far benefited over 200 staff members.

On infrastructure, the Vice-Chancellor spoke on major projects including the Artificial Insemination Centre, the 5-Megawatt solar power project providing the University with 24-hour electricity, two solar-powered 40,000-litre boreholes, ICT modernisation through Federal Government support, and the introduction of a paperless Senate in collaboration with FLEXISAF. 

He also touched on the University's international collaborations with institutions in Cameroon and the recent partnership with Adamawa State University, Mubi, while noting lingering challenges such as the absence of a perimeter fence, inadequate academic infrastructure, and the lack of a dedicated Senate Building.

Following the address, the Pro-Chancellor was conducted on an extensive tour of several strategic facilities, including the Computer-Based Test (CBT) Centre, the Ibrahim Babangida (IB) Library, laboratory, the 5-Megawatt solar power farm, the livestock and animal production farms, the University Clinic, the Security Unit, and the institution's pure water factory, among other notable sites.

Speaking after the tour, Dr. Layonu expressed delight at the state of the facilities and the cleanliness of the campus environment, describing what he saw as impressive and a clear reflection of the Vice-Chancellor's visionary leadership. 

He singled out the solar power initiative, the livestock farms, and the pure water factory as evidence of the University's commitment to self-sustainability and innovation, and commended the Vice-Chancellor for clearing all inherited staff allowance backlogs, describing it as a commendable feat given the financial realities facing public universities in Nigeria.

The Pro-Chancellor also appreciated the warmth of his reception, describing the welcome accorded to him by the entire University community as heartwarming and a sign of unity within the institution assuring staff and management of the Governing Council's readiness to collaborate with the University administration to address the challenges highlighted during the visit, including the need for enhanced campus security infrastructure and additional academic facilities.

In a special address to students, Dr. Layonu charged them to remain focused on their primary purpose for being in the University, urging them to face their studies with seriousness and dedication. He advised students to shun all forms of vices and distractions that could derail their academic pursuits, stressing that discipline and hard work remain the surest path to a successful future.

The Pro-Chancellor concluded by affirming his commitment to working closely with the Vice-Chancellor and the entire University community to consolidate on the gains already recorded and to steer Modibbo Adama University, Yola, toward even greater heights of academic excellence and institutional development.

The familiarization visit ended on a note of mutual goodwill, with both the Council and Management expressing optimism about a productive working relationship going forward.