NSUK Community Joins National Leaders in Abuja for Evening of Tributes Honouring Emeritus Professor David Adamu Baikie

On Thursday, 15th January, 2026, the Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, led a high-level delegation of the University community to the Air Force Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja, for an Evening of Tributes held in honour of late Emeritus Professor David Adamu Baikie, CON, CMLOR.

The gathering was a fitting reflection of Professor Baikie’s towering stature in Nigeria’s academic landscape, often described as a “Vice-Chancellor of Vice-Chancellors." The event brought together an exceptional assembly of national leaders, elder statesmen, and distinguished academics.

Among those in attendance were the Chairman of the Occasion, Senator Tunde Ogbeha; the Executive Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang; General T. Y. Danjuma (rtd); Professor Jerry Gana; the Pro-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Mallam Mahmud Yayale Ahmed; former Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu; and several other eminent Nigerians drawn from diverse sectors of national life.

Tributes poured in for a scholar and administrator whose career read like a living chronicle of Nigerian higher education. The late Professor Baikie was celebrated for his exceptional service as Vice-Chancellor of three universities—a rare achievement that underscored his administrative brilliance, integrity, and enduring commitment to academic excellence.

He was also remembered as a pillar of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he served with distinction as Dean of the Faculty of Education and an unprecedented five times as Acting Vice-Chancellor. His leadership extended beyond individual institutions through his impactful tenure as Chairman of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, where he provided visionary guidance to his peers nationwide.

Leading the NSUK community, Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman stood in solidarity with the Baikie family, acknowledging that the progress and stability enjoyed by contemporary universities, including NSUK, are firmly rooted in the foundations of excellence, discipline, and ethical leadership laid by pioneers such as Emeritus Professor Baikie.

“Emeritus Professor David Adamu Baikie was not just an academic, he was a lighthouse that guided generations of scholars and administrators. His legacy is etched in every university he led and every life he touched,” she noted.

The atmosphere throughout the evening was marked by solemn orations and deeply moving tributes, painting the portrait of a man who combined intellectual brilliance with profound humility and service. The presence of such a broad spectrum of distinguished Nigerians served as a symbolic final standing ovation for a patriot who dedicated his life to the advancement of education in Nigeria.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.