The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) spent about N6 billion to establish a business school in the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna.

The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibrahim Garba, made this known on Saturday at ABU’s 40th convocation ceremony held at its main campus, Samaru, Zaria.

Garba said that the business school had begun as a faculty, covering Accounting, Business Administration and Economics Departments.

The vice said that the development gave room for expansion of the departments and introduction of related academic programmes.

He said that the ABU’s Faculty of Medicine had been transformed into ABU College of Health Sciences and headed by a provost.

“The college has taken off with four faculties of Basic Clinical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Basic Medical Sciences and Allied Health Sciences.

“Along with this development is the commencement of three new academic programmes beginning from 2017/2018 session.

“These are Bachelor of Dental Surgery, Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences and B.Sc. Medical Radiography,” he said.

The vice-chancellor said that the university had introduced e-learning methodology in academic delivery to tackle growth in the number of students.

Garba said that the e-learning was in line with developments in pedagogy and technology.

He said that ABU last year introduced four additional courses in its Department of Mechanical Engineering.

He said that the university had continued to improve and expand the existing facilities for teaching and research within the limit of available resources.

Garba said that the university was using Tertiary Education Trust Fund and Presidential Need Assessment Intervention Fund to execute the projects.

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Maikanti Kachalla-Baru, said at the occasion that he was impressed by the performance of 50 of the graduating students who had first class degree in different fields.

He announced NNPC’s scholarship up to PhD level for the overall best student with Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.93, Mr Al-Amin Bashir-Bugaje from Electrical Engineering Department.

“NNPC will sponsor him fully to wherever he wants to study in this world up to PhD. Level,” he said.

Kamchatka-Baru said that NNPC had been at the forefront of fostering education in Nigeria.

Earlier in an address of welcome, the ABU Chancellor, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, said: “Since my installation as the Chancellor of this university on Nov. 1, 2015, I have found this university to be vibrant and promising.

“It has enormous human and material resources and a number of specialised research institutes, particularly agro-based ones.

“These institutes include the Institute for Agricultural Research, National Animal Production Research Institute and National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services.’’

He said that the institutes had over the years made significant contributions to the agricultural sector of the Nigerian economy. (NAN)

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