By Victoria Tumbo
The Founding President of the Nigerian-Arabian Gulf Chamber of Commerce (NAGCC), Dubai, Dr. Mahmood Ahmadu, has awarded a cash gift of N100,000 to each of the 82 First-Class graduates of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK).
Dr. Ahmadu made the announcement shortly after he was conferred with an honorary doctorate degree by NSUK for his contributions to international business, development, and public service. The conferment took place at the university’s 8th combined convocation ceremony held recently in Keffi.
Tanzanian President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, was also among the distinguished personalities honoured at the event.
In addition to the cash awards, Dr. Ahmadu pledged to build a world-class ICT Hub for the university to boost digital skills, research, and tech entrepreneurship among students. He also offered automatic employment to 50 graduates in his companies, in a move to strengthen industry-academia linkage.
Speaking on behalf of the honorary degree awardees, Dr. Ahmadu thanked the university council and management for the recognition.
“We do not take this honour lightly. To whom much is given, much is expected. We accept this as a call to do more for education, for youth, and for Nigeria,” he said.
He described NSUK as “a rising citadel of learning that understands the link between knowledge and prosperity,” and pledged the commitment of the awardees to support the institution’s growth.
“This is my commitment to academic excellence and youth empowerment,” Ahmadu added. “We must convert our certificates into skills, and our skills into global opportunities. Nigeria’s human capital is our greatest export.”
Dr. Ahmadu is also the Executive Chairman of the MAG Group and Online Integrated Solutions Ltd (OIS), with business operations spanning over 56 countries. He is recognised as an early pioneer of GSM trading in Northern Nigeria and remains a significant figure in Nigeria’s IT services sector.
Vice Chancellor, Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, commended Dr. Ahmadu’s interventions, describing them as “a new model for honorary awardees — not just titles, but tangible impact.” She noted that the ICT Hub would position NSUK as a digital talent pipeline for Nigeria and the sub-region.
Prof. Liman also charged the graduating students to emulate the awardees by combining character with competence as they enter the world of work.
Through NAGCC, Dr. Ahmadu has facilitated trade and investment between Nigeria and the Gulf states, while his MAG Group portfolio covers telecoms, IT, energy, and real estate.