UNIMAID VC Honours Professors Dlakwa, Godowoli on Retirement After Decades of Distinguished Service

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Professor Mohammed Laminu Mele, has commended Professor Emeritus Haruna D. Dlakwa and Professor Abdullahi Haruna Godowoli for their exceptional contributions to the University following their retirement after decades of meritorious academic and administrative service.

The commendation was delivered at a special retirement ceremony organised by the Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, held on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at the Elkanemi Hall, University of Maiduguri. The Vice-Chancellor was represented at the event by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Central Administration), Professor Babagana Bako.

Speaking on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bako described the retiring professors as iconic scholars whose careers embodied the highest standards of scholarship, leadership, mentorship, and service. He noted that their academic journeys were defined by excellence across the core mandates of the University—teaching, research, community service, and administration.

According to him, both professors made far-reaching impacts through decades of quality teaching that inspired generations of students, rigorous research outputs that will remain enduring academic references, and exemplary mentorship that shaped many of today’s academics and administrators.

He further praised their leadership roles as Heads of Department, Deans, and Deputy Vice-Chancellors, describing them as role models whose absence would be deeply felt. He assured the retirees that the University would continue to draw from their wealth of experience and institutional memory.

On behalf of the University community, Professor Mele congratulated the retirees and wished them good health, fulfillment, and continued relevance in retirement, describing their legacies as “names written in gold in the annals of the University of Maiduguri.”

Earlier, the Head of the Department of Public Administration, Dr. Silas Joel, lauded the retirees for their exceptional mentorship, noting that many members of staff in the department were trained under them. He described them as pioneers whose influence would endure long after their exit from active service.

The Chairman of the Occasion, Dr. Bulama Mali Gubio, mni, said the ceremony was an opportunity to celebrate lives devoted to scholarship, service, and institutional development. The Special Guest of Honour, former Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Mala Daura, also congratulated the retirees for attaining the pinnacle of their careers and exiting with honour.

In their separate remarks, Professor Emeritus Haruna D. Dlakwa expressed gratitude to the Department and the University community for the recognition and support he received throughout his career. Professor Abdullahi Haruna Godowoli similarly thanked colleagues and students and sought forgiveness for any shortcomings during his years of service.

The ceremony climaxed with the presentation of awards in recognition of their contributions. Professor Abdullahi Haruna Godowoli received an Award of Excellence for Outstanding Academic Service, presented by Professor Mala Daura, while Professor Emeritus Haruna D. Dlakwa was honoured with a Lifetime Academic Achievement Award, presented by Dr. Bulama Mali Gubio, mni.

The event marked a fitting celebration of two distinguished careers that have left an indelible mark on the University of Maiduguri and the discipline of Public Administration.