NSUK Vice-Chancellor Praises ARNU’s Strategic Role at 20th Annual Retreat and 78th Business Meeting

The Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, has underscored the central role of the Association of Registrars of Nigerian Universities (ARNU) in strengthening governance, administration, and sustainability within the Nigerian University System.

Professor Liman made the remarks while delivering a goodwill message as Special Guest at the 20th Annual Retreat and 78th Business Meeting of ARNU, held at the National Secretariat of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Abuja.

She described Registrars as occupying statutorily critical positions in the conception, establishment, development, and long-term stability of universities, noting that their responsibilities are fundamental to maintaining academic standards, administrative efficiency, and institutional integrity across Nigerian universities and inter-university centres.

The Vice-Chancellor commended ARNU for institutionalising annual retreats and capacity-building workshops, which she said have remained vital platforms for equipping Registrars with contemporary knowledge, innovative administrative practices, and insights into emerging trends in higher education management.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of ARNU, Dr. Bala I. Ahmed II, described the theme of the 2025 retreat, “TERAS as Innovative Pathway for Teaching, Research, and Documentation in Nigeria’s Tertiary Education,” as timely and strategic. He observed that universities have evolved beyond traditional teaching centres to become hubs for impactful research, innovation, and drivers of national development in a technology-driven global economy.

Dr. Ahmed further disclosed that following a recent foreign education tour to Kenya, Nigerian and Kenyan Registrars agreed to establish a continental body to be known as the African Universities Registrars Association (AURA). He announced that the current Chairman of ARNU was unanimously elected as the pioneer Chairman of AURA, supported by a five-member steering committee comprising two members from Nigeria and three from Kenya, describing the development as a testament to ARNU’s growing influence on the continent.

Highlights of the retreat included a keynote address delivered by the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny S. T. Echono, represented by the Director of ICT, TETFund, Engr. Joseph Odowa. Participants also engaged with a paper presentation titled “University Autonomy in the Face of Economic Downturn: The Survivalist Approach and Advancement Strategies,” presented by Professor Suleiman A. S. Aruwa of the Faculty of Administration, Nasarawa State University, Keffi.