By Samson Yaki
Ahmadu Bello University Don, Professor Ezzeldin Mukhtar Abdurahman, has emerged the overall best former Vice Chancellor in the Virtual Institute for Capacity Building in Higher Education (VICBHE).
This was contained in a congratulatory message to the recipient of the award signed by
Professor Monioluwa O. Olaniyi, Deputy Facilitator-General (Administration), VICBHE, on behalf of the Director/Facilitator-General,
Professor Emeritus Peter Okebukola.
Professor Olaniyi said VICBHE Module 5 which was titled “Theory and Practice of Strategic Planning and Implementation” comprised of serving and former Vice-Chancellors, serving and former Deans of faculties, Directors of Academic Planning, Professors, Staff of Quality Assurance and Regulatory institutions in Nigeria, Ghana and Burundi, and other categories of participants.
He congratulated Professor Abdurahman for emerging the Best Former Vice-Chancellor Module 5.
“It is no doubt that you have been well groomed in the Theory and Practice of Strategic Planning and Implementation, and we wish you more successes as you go out to utilise the knowledge you have acquired”, he added.
In his response, professor Abdurahman thanked the management of (VICBHE) for the prestigious Olufemi Peters Prize for the Best Former Vice-Chancellor in Module-5. He expressed delight over the recognition and appreciated the significance of the Prize.
“I am grateful to NOUN , NUC and VICBHE for the advanced training bestowed on us . I have the honor to accept the prize and the invitation to the Graduation Ceremony”.
Hails from Zaria Local Government Area, in Kaduna State, Professor Abdurahman was born on 18 November 1957.
He attended Banha Primary School, Cairo, Egypt, from 1963 to 1969; Banha Preparation School, Cairo, Egypt, from 1969 to 1972; Banha Secondary School, Cairo, Egypt, from 1972 to 1975; and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cairo University, Egypt, where he bagged his B.Pharm in 1980.
Abdurahman returned to Nigeria to further his academic career, and subsequently obtained his Master of Science and Ph.D degrees in Pharmacognosy from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria in 1986 and 1993 respectively. He also obtained an MBA in 1997 from the same institution.
He joined the services of Ahmadu Bello University in June 1983, and rose through the ranks to become a Professor in 2001. He served in various capacities in the University system. He was the Head of Department of Pharmacognosy and Drug Development and then Dean Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. He was appointed the pioneer Director to the School of Basic and Remedial Studies, ABU, Funtua campus, Katsina State. After serving for four years, He was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of Kaduna State University, Kaduna State, for five years .He was the pioneer and founding Vice-Chancellor of Bauchi State University, Bauchi State.
He served as a Research Fellow in the School of Pharmacy King’s College, University of London, UK, and conducted research on “Nigerian Medicinal Plants Used in the treatment of HIV”. He supervised and graduated many Ph.D., and M.Sc. students in the field of Pharmacognosy.
He is a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN) and also a Fellow of the Postgraduate College of Pharmacist and He was the President of the Nigerian Society of Pharmacognosy.
A merit award winner of PSN-Kaduna State and PANS-ABU in 1994 and 1995 respectively, Professor Abdurahman is a Fellow of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP); the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm.) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN).