Association to construct N200m postgraduate hostel in ABU

The Alumni Association of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, is to spend more than N200m on the construction of a postgraduate hostel at the main campus of the university.

The National President of the association, Prof. Ahmad Tijjani-Mora, made this disclosure while speaking to newsmen in Gusau on Wednesday after meeting with the members of the association in Zamfara.

Tijjani-Mora said that the construction of the hostel was one of the four major projects proposed to be executed by the association for the development of the university.

“We give priority to this project, considering the problems of inadequate accommodation in the institution.

“The university is having more than 60, 000 students but with only 14, 000 bed spaces for the their accommodation.

“Although, the problem of inadequate accommodation is not limited to ABU alone, it affects all the Nigerian universities.

“As old students, who benefited from the university, we have to try our best to support the university in this regard,” he said.

Tijjani-Mora said the construction of a pedestal bridge at the North-gate of the main campus of the university was the effort of the members of the association and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

He said the project, worth N80m, had reached 50 per cent completion, which, when completed would improve the wellbeing of the students.

“We also introduced a new programme, in which we want to assist the students of the university with loans for laptops in order to improve their capacity in computer literacy.

“Under this programme, any interested students will apply for the loan through the association and get the laptop at the cost of N86,000 to pay back in 36 months.

“We also planned a new transportation system aimed at reducing the transport problems being faced by the students of the university,” he explained.

He said the association embarked on a nationwide tour to visit its members in all the states of the federation in order to mobilise and encourage them to support the association’s programmes for the development of the university.

“We have finished with the North-East, we are now in the North-West, after which we will continue in other parts of the country,” Tijjani-Mora added.

The alumni president lauded the support and cooperation of the State Government and the Council of Chiefs under the leadership of the Emir of Anka, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmad, who is also an alumnus, towards the development of the association.