UniMaid Vice-Chancellor and Registrar Receive Excellence Awards as 14th SSANU ZEC Summit Opens

Amidst calls for policy reviews and enhanced welfare architecture, the 14th Regional Zonal Executive Council (ZEC) meeting of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) commenced on Wednesday, 3rd June, 2026, at the Muhammadu Indimi International Conference Centre, hosted by the University of Maiduguri.

The high-profile regional summit converged university administrators, national union executives, and delegates from across the Northeast to deliberate on pressing industrial concerns, staff development, and institutional stability.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Laminu Mele, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Central Administration, Professor Babagana Bako, commended SSANU for its structural discipline and mature approach to labor relations. Professor Bako specifically lauded the union’s leadership for navigating the recent nationwide industrial action with administrative decorum, stating that the seamless internal peace enjoyed on campus was a direct product of mutual transparency and cooperative governance between management and the university's workforce.

Also speaking, the Registrar of the University of Maiduguri, Ahmad Alhaji Lawan, who doubles as the Grand Patron of the local SSANU branch, expressed deep gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Laminu Mele, for his immense financial and logistical backing which ensured the successful hosting of the regional summit. The Registrar lauded the Vice-Chancellor’s consistent investment in the non-teaching workforce, noting that under the current administration, SSANU members have enjoyed unprecedented sponsorships for professional workshops, international conferences, and approved study leaves to upgrade their competencies. 

Earlier speaking, the National President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, MNIPR, who was ably represented by the National Vice President and Chairman of the Northeast Zone, Comrade Audu Isa, raised a fundamental administrative issue regarding the institution’s current staff evaluation frameworks. In his address, Comrade Isa formally appealed to the university management for a dedicated interface with the Office of the Registrar to review and harmonize the criteria for senior non-teaching staff promotions. He argued that a comparative assessment reveals UNIMAID’s promotion benchmarks to be significantly more stringent than those of peer tier-one universities, noting that adjusting these career bottlenecks through constructive dialogue would eliminate stagnation and aggressively boost workforce morale.

Responding to the policy request, Professor Bako assured the union leadership of management's unwavering commitment to an open-door policy. He affirmed that while the university maintains rigorous operational standards to ensure high-caliber administrative output, the administration remains fully receptive to internal negotiations aimed at ensuring justice, equity, and fair play for the non-academic cadres who serve as vital custodians of university bureaucracy and the rule of law.

In recognition of their landmark contributions to industrial harmony and human capital transformation, the national leadership of SSANU bestowed prestigious excellence awards upon the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Laminu Mele, and the Registrar, Ahmad Alhaji Lawan. Accepting the honor, the Registrar matched the accolade with a profound welfare intervention, presenting a benevolent token of three hundred thousand naira (N300,000) each to several university retirees and next-of-kin of deceased SSANU members to cushion economic hardships and honor their legacy of service.

The regional summit also served as a vivid celebration of local heritage and institutional solidarity. Delegates were treated to vibrant cultural performances by traditional Kanuri and Fulani dancers, who electrified the conference hall with intricate choreography symbolizing the peace and rich social culture of Borno State.