A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed has been appointed as the chairman of Board of Trustees of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Endowment Foundation.
This was disclosed in a statement titled “ABU reconstitutes Board of Trustees for its Endowment Foundation,” signed by the Director of Public Affairs Directorate of the university, Auwalu Umar, on Thursday.
The university appointed 10 other Nigerians as board members. They are former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd); former Secretary General, Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Dr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo; former Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo.
Others include renowned economist and erstwhile Chairman of FSB International Bank Plc, Malam Mohammed Hayatudeen; former National President of Ahmadu Bello University Alumni Association, Dr. (Mrs.) Henrietta Ogan; a former Minister for Women Affairs, Hajiya Salamatu Husseini Suleiman; and Chairman Board of Directors, DANE Investments Ltd, Dr. Suleyman Abdu Ndanusa.
There are also founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Chief Tony Elumelu; retired Federal Permanent Secretary, Dr. Abdullahi Aliyu; Non-Executive Director, Board of Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Abubakar Abdu; and politician and social activist, Hajiya Naja’atu Muhammad.
The university’s registrar and secretary to council, will serve as the secretary of the board.
The statement said, “The reconstitution of the Endowment Foundation Board of Trustees followed approval of the University Governing Council at its 194th (Regular) meeting held in February last year.
“The 12-member Board of Trustees had already been inaugurated at a zoom meeting held in Abuja.
“The Board Chairman, Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, CFR, who was Secretary to the Government of the Federation, spoke on behalf of all other members, saying that they all accepted to serve and work collectively to achieve the purpose for which the Endowment Foundation was established.
“The former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, who expressed satisfaction with the readiness of members of the Board when they were individually asked to comment at the inaugural meeting, further assured that they would work in line with international best practice in order to succeed.”
In his remarks at the inauguration, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala, thanked the chairman and members of the Board of Trustees on behalf of Council, Senate, Managements, Staff, Students and all other stakeholders for accepting the appointments, and their readiness to contribute in this capacity.
The VC also stated that it was clear that the government alone could not provide for the needs of universities and that the current situation was clearly not sustainable and something drastic needed to be done.
To this end, he said, the university was developing what it referred to as ‘Centenary Sustainability Plan’ aimed at making ABU financially sustainable by 2062 when it would celebrate its centenary as an institution.
