Professor Musa Kundiri: Changing the Face of Federal University, Wukari
Professor
Abubakar Musa Kundiri is the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Wukari
(FUW). He can aptly be described as someone who has carved a niche for himself
in the academic cycle. Professor Kundiri is however writing his name in gold at
the University through his developmental strides at uplifting the recently
established university.
Professor
Abubakar Musa Kundiri, who was appointed the second Vice Chancellor of the
University in March 2016, has transformed the University in terms of academics
and infrastructural development.
The
University, which boasts of three key faculties of Agriculture and Life
Sciences, Humanities, Management and Social Sciences as well as Pure &
Applied Sciences, has 25 academic departments offering 27 undergraduate Degree
Programmes.
Tanko
Yusuf, a 300-level student in the Department of Chemistry, told our
correspondent that the smooth running of academic programmes in the University
has attracted students’ population into the University.
“In
terms of infrastructure, the Vice Chancellor has turned the University into a
construction site as massive infrastructural projects are currently ongoing in
the school. We are lucky to have someone like him as the Vice Chancellor. If we
had him from the beginning to lay the foundation, the University would have
been far from where it is currently,” he said.
Kundiri
on assumption of office came out with a Medium-Term Strategic Plan to Guide the
Growth of the University, and this led to the full accreditation of all 27
undergraduate programmes of the University
He
has since completed all abandoned projects including Faculty buildings, lecture
theatres, classrooms, halls, cafeterias, medical centre, students’ hostels,
perimeter fencing, entrepreneurial centre, among others.
Other
projects include, construction of senior academic staff housing to attract
quality academic staff; construction of principal officers’ housing units,
construction of world-class Central Laboratory; development of security
infrastructure to ensure safety of people and property in the university and
its immediate environment.
The
university has also provided industrial boreholes and reticulation, solar
street lighting, waste management system and construction of over 10 kilometres
of roads within the campus.
A
lecturer in the Department of Economics, Stephen Nev, said the construction of
new Faculty buildings to house the establishment of new Faculties of Education;
Engineering and Technology; Law and Medicine as well as other infrastructure to
address ecological challenges on the campus has made the university stand out
among its peers.
“The
Vice Chancellor has established the School of Postgraduate Studies which will
soon commence Postgraduate diploma, Master’s and Doctoral programmes in all departments
of the University.
“There
is also deployment of ICT infrastructure including campus-wide wireless
services backed by fire optic infrastructure,” Nev said.
He
also said that the “Development of University Website and Portal Automation of
Council, Senate and other meetings through the installation of computing
facilities in the Council/Senate Chamber has made Communication easier in the
University.”
Other
gains of the University under the VC include appointment of over 20 professors
and associate professors in order to meet the quality requirements of
programmes of the University; partnership agreements with diverse organisations
including the French Government for the sponsorship of academic staff for
postgraduate studies.
Prof.
Kundiri in an interview with our correspondent also added that the University
has gone into partnership with the International Crop Research Institute for
the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in research on agriculture and crop
development.
He
added that the university has developed new varieties of finger millet for
farmers, electrification of all parts of the university and initiation of the
construction of an Independent Power Project on campus.
“We
have established a full-fledged university Fire Service, upgraded the University
Medical Centre to integrate the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS); we
have ensured the maintenance of cordial relations between Town and Gown so as
to ensure mutual benefit and support,” he said.
According
to the Vice Chancellor, “This has led to the community continually relying on
the university to support their educational and related socio-economic
aspirations.”
He
added that the university has developed linkages and partnerships between the
university and national and international organisations which he said had
brought immense benefits in the infrastructural, educational resource and human
capacity developments.
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