Senator Abdullahi Adamu is the founder and first Visitor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, NSUK. He served as the pioneer civilian Governor of Nasarawa State from 1999 to 2007, during which he established the university in 2001. A former student union leader and long-time advocate for education in Northern Nigeria, Adamu went on to represent Nasarawa West in the Senate from 2011 to 2022 and later served as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC. In this interview with the Group Editor-in-Chief of Education Monitor Group of Newspapers and Magazines, Waziri Isa Adam Gwantu, he reflects on the vision, battles, and unfinished mission behind NSUK at 25. He also spoke on a wide range of issues such as Politics which he reiterated that he has retired from partisanship and his resolution in the state and in the country*
*Education Monitor:* Sir, good evening. Nasarawa State University, Keffi, your brainchild, just celebrated its 25th anniversary. Many events were organized to mark this milestone. In that regard, we want to hear from you, because this university is principally your own. Sir, what actually prompted the establishment of this university in the first place?
*Founder of NSUK:* Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts with you and your outfit. I remain grateful to Almighty Allah who made it possible for me and my political associates to prioritize the promotion of education in all we do.
For me, education is light. Give a person education, and you have given them all it takes to struggle and make a success of their life. From my days as a student union leader through the agitation for the creation of Nasarawa State, the travels I undertook and the people I met at different levels of society gave me more than an ordinary understanding of the status of education in Nasarawa State.
In fact, education was part of our main reason for agitating for a state. At the time we were struggling for the creation of the state in 1996, we had no institution of higher learning apart from Government College, Keffi, and one or two other secondary schools in the area that is now Nasarawa State. We had a College of Basic Studies where secondary school graduates could pass through A-Levels.
When we started our campaign for governorship, I made the creation of this university a priority of my programs. This was based on information I received through direct discussions with citizens and community leaders. At that time, we had difficulty raising even 10 students who qualified for direct entry to university. It was that bad.
In that situation I said to myself, “All things being equal, we need to see how we can upgrade the existing institution to a university.” So we enhanced the curriculum in secondary schools. We expanded opportunities for boys and girls to go through secondary education and obtain the basic qualifications to pursue A-Levels, and then move on to university.
During my campaigns, I shared my knowledge of the state of education at the time, particularly at the tertiary level, and made a promise to the people that we would establish a university if, by God’s grace, we headed the government of Nasarawa State. As God would have it, we won the election. I then fell back on my electioneering promises and created the atmosphere required for the university to take off.
We had no hesitation. We began sharing that view with our political associates, community leaders, and parents of boys and girls graduating from secondary school with the relevant qualifications for university entry. We encouraged those doing A-Levels and those with basic qualifications for direct entry.
We also ensured we started properly. We secured a competent education administrator. May he rest in peace — the late Professor Adamu Baikie. I took special interest in him. I went to meet him to share my ambition. He agreed with me, but he had been a Vice Chancellor before. Most of the Vice Chancellors at the time were his students, so he did not want to compete for office with them. He said, “No, I want to provide the leadership and guidance so the university can have a proper takeoff.”
Through well-wishers, including the late Emir of Zazzau, Shehu Idris, and other acquaintances, we persuaded Professor Baikie to come. He insisted he did not want to be VC. To ensure we did not miss him, we created the office of Administrator, and he accepted that. But when we went to register the university with the National Universities Commission, they said, “Sorry, we don’t have anything like an administrator for a university. You must have a Vice Chancellor, Acting Vice Chancellor, or whatever, but not an administrator.”
We shared that with him, and since he knew the culture and requirements of the Vice Chancellorship, he did not need much pressure to accept in principle. He agreed to be the Acting Vice Chancellor. That is how we started. I am happy and grateful to Almighty God that He gave us the capacity to think ahead and ensure a proper takeoff. We made every effort to ensure we left no loopholes, so we could succeed in building a solid foundation for the university.
I faced resistance from people. Some did not see the need for a university at the time, or believed we did not have the capacity for one. Some were looking at the results of our economic summit. The conclusion was that there was no money in the state. So people wondered, “Why can’t we float the idea when we don’t have money from the state for the university?” I said, “No. As long as there is a will, there is a way.”
We moved ahead, and we thank God for that bold step, for well-wishers, and for good advice. Here we are today. From what I saw and heard during the 25th anniversary jubilee and the 8th convocation that took place, I kept thanking God. From the exchanges by lecturers and others on those occasions, I was grateful to Almighty God. We hope that those privileged to be associated with promoting the university — lecturers, administrators, non-academic staff — will continue to do their best to keep the university on track.
*Education Monitor:* Sir, when you conceived the idea of establishing a university because you saw education as light, were there other considerations — economic, political, or social?
*Founder of NSUK:* No. As I said, once you give somebody the opportunity to get education, education is not just going to class and passing examinations. Education prepares you for the challenges of life. Education makes it possible for you to develop ambition. Education makes it possible for you to find a way to pursue your ambition. Education helps you choose what best fits your character in life. Education is, like I said, light.
*Education Monitor:* What prompted the choice of Keffi as the site of the university?
*Founder of NSUK:* The choice of Keffi had its own share of criticism at the time. People simply saw me as someone born and raised in Keffi trying to promote Keffi. They did not spare time to consider other factors that gave Keffi the advantage for starting a university.
Go through the historical development of education in Northern Nigeria. Apart from Zaria, for Western education, no other city was ahead of Keffi. From 1949 to 1950, when the decision was taken to divide Barewa College from Katsina into two, part of the students went to Zaria to form Barewa College, and another part came to Keffi to set up Keffi College. Interestingly, the planners of education decided in their wisdom that students with an inclination for arts should go to Barewa College in Zaria, while those with a knack for engineering were directed to Keffi.
When I was setting up the university, Keffi already had Government College, Teachers College, and the College of Arts and Science, which was doing A-Levels and preparing students for university admission. No other city in the current Nasarawa State had the institutions or the culture of tertiary education established and organized as much as Keffi.
So we decided, since the College of Arts and Science in Keffi was there, why not upgrade it to university level since they were already running A-Levels? Some of the infrastructure for A-Levels was at the temporary site in Government College, Keffi, where they ran the Higher Teachers Training Course. Students would finish secondary school and then do A-Levels there. It was already running in Keffi and was just moving to the permanent site where the university is now.
I said, “The basic infrastructure for a tertiary institution is on the ground, so we just promote it and take the necessary steps to ensure facilities for higher education are available.” That is why it was easier for us, because the basic requirements and structure were already in place.
*Education Monitor:* At the beginning of this interview, you mentioned the challenge of funds. How did you surmount that challenge?
*Founder of NSUK:* The issue of funding was a problem throughout my tenure as governor. But as I said, once there is a will, there is a way. We ensured that whatever was available from the earnings the state was generating, we started in a very modest way. The number of academic and administrative staff was modest.
Having Professor Baikie helped a lot because he knew the ins and outs of a tertiary institution. He had been Vice Chancellor at the University of Benin, one of the first-generation universities, and later Vice Chancellor in Lesotho. He came fully equipped. He had also served in Zaria, taking charge of tertiary institutions and serving as secretary to committees promoting education.
We succeeded in getting him, and he had the know-how to get us started very humbly, given the resources and limitations available to us. That is how we settled things gradually. We grew. We took care of the challenges at the time, and we managed to get up and running.
*Education Monitor:* NSUK is 25. What do you want to see NSUK become in the next 25 years?
*Founder of NSUK:* As far as I am concerned, a university is a universal village. Already the signs and the infrastructure are there. I understand that at the moment, they are admitting not less than 50,000 students for different courses, and they come from virtually every part of the country, particularly given the location of the university close to Abuja, the Federal Capital.
Most of the public servants in Abuja were desirous of helping their children have the opportunity to go to university. Keffi became readily available. At the time we started, the University of Abuja was older, but they were having problems with strikes. Nobody was interested. Parents felt it was not the kind of place they would send their children.
So Keffi became an alternative. Courses were introduced whereby lecturers in Abuja, with their own qualifications for university academic responsibilities, easily came to Keffi and gave us the right start that we required. No university around here, apart from probably Lagos, has the kind of environment, opportunity, and conduciveness that the environment in Keffi provides for tertiary education.
I want to see NSUK become a truly global institution — a center of excellence in teaching, research, and innovation. It should eradicate poverty in its host communities through knowledge, produce graduates who are competitive worldwide, and develop strong institutions that command global respect. It must move beyond awarding degrees to becoming a solution factory for Nigeria’s problems in food security, healthcare, technology, and national unity. That is the future I envision for NSUK.
*Education Monitor:* I understand that during the first convocation of the university you gave all those that made first class direct job opportunities. Is that true?
*Founder of NSUK:* Very true. Because we were having to live with the challenges from those who didn’t want the university, I thought one of the attractions we could have for boys and girls wanting to come and study at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, was to provide some incentive.
It isn’t just about coming to get an educational qualification. One big problem in the country, as the population of graduates increased, was that unemployment became more acute. I decided with the people who were working with me at the time as governor: “Look, let us give indigenous graduates of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, the opportunity of employment.”
So we sent a circular to the Vice Chancellor and told him to make that known to the students. For the first batch, anybody who was unable to secure employment in his final year should apply, and we would give him automatic employment, whatever discipline he pursued for his first degree. It was very attractive. They came, and we gave them employment.
*Education Monitor:* Sir, would you wish to see this trend or this policy continue?
*Founder of NSUK:* Naturally it is good, and I hope it always continues. But every state government, at every stage of development, has its own peculiar problems. There is nothing compelling anybody to do exactly what I did during my time.
*Education Monitor:* Sir, when history is about to be written about this university, what do you want to be remembered for, particularly in the university, not for other achievements?
*Founder of NSUK:* In the face of financial limitations, the opportunities we created, the facilities, the infrastructure, and the manner of introducing the university remain very, very attractive to my mind. The fact that we were able to start without major problems — you don’t hear about strikes or demonstrations here every now and again like in other universities. It is part of the history now. NSUK is a very stable institution.
The environment is very conducive for learning, and I am happy and grateful to Almighty God for that. The academic and administrative staff we had in the early stages of the university’s life measured up to our expectation. I hope they have set a foundation that men and women of goodwill who come either as academic staff or administrative staff will build upon.
*Education Monitor:* Sir, what is your impression of the current Vice Chancellor?
*Founder of NSUK:* That is not a fair question. She is my daughter. She said so herself. If you heard the convocation, when she was observing protocol, she referred to me as her father. I was her father’s best friend when he was alive. He was always here. We were always together. We had breakfast together, we had lunch together. Sometimes we ate dinner together before he went home. Wherever I was going, if you didn’t see him, something was wrong.
We lost him some five years ago or so. She still sees me as her father, and I see her as my daughter. So if I begin to talk about what she is doing or not doing, I won’t be seen to be making fair comments.
*Education Monitor:* Sir, thank you very much for this attention. I have only one question left, as I told you in the car. The question has to do with you as a stakeholder, as an elder statesman, as a father not only in this state but in the country. Considering the fact that we are approaching an election year, what message do you have for politicians and for the electorate?
*Founder of NSUK:* They should all play according to the rules of the game. That is my message.
I am retired. I am no longer a partisan. I will not be contesting any election. Not because I am bad, but because I feel I have done my bit. I believe very strongly that I don’t have to start fighting for positions in government anymore. Whatever a citizen of a country wants to be, God has been able to position me.
I started off as a student union leader. I rose to become Vice President of the National Association of Nigerian Students. I floated the Current Affairs Society of Nigeria and was its National Secretary. When the PDP started, I joined. In Plateau State, I was Secretary of the party. At some point, I became the Chairman of the PDP.
I contested elections or got nominated in some instances. On three occasions, I was privileged to be involved with the review of the Nigerian Constitution by the Federal Government of Nigeria. I was there in 1977 through election to the Constituent Assembly. There was another one about 1987, through government nomination. Then the last review, again I was privileged to be nominated.
I went back to school to become a lawyer. Since graduating and becoming a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, I had the opportunity of serving as governor. Before that, I was nominated as Minister of the Republic, Minister of Works and Housing, and served there for about three years.
Then states were created, and I was the first democratically elected governor of Nasarawa State. I had two terms as governor. Then I became the National Chairman of the ruling party, the APC. Whatever anyone would want to pray to have an opportunity to be, I have been.
I believe it is part of my understanding of what gratitude to God should be. I have got to a point now where I should just sit back, thank God, and mentor the young people who are coming up and who may wish to benefit from my experience. I don’t have to go soliciting for people to come under me.
That is who I am at this point in time, and I thank Almighty God. I do hope that God will give me the capacity, good health, and life to do all that. I remain grateful to Almighty God, and I am grateful to all those who have supported me through my political career until now. I appreciate them. I do hope that God will keep us together with them so that I will continue to make whatever contributions to democratic transition in our great country.
*Education Monitor:* Can we summarily say you are retired from politics now?
*Founder of NSUK:* I have made a public declaration that I am no longer interested in partisanship. I am here. If you come for advice and I believe you are worth getting my advice, I will give you my advice. But for me to start competing for any office now, no.
If the governor or president requires me to be in his entourage during any campaign, I would join them. There is no problem with that. As long as I am alive, I believe I have a duty to make my positive contribution towards enlightening and strengthening democratic processes in the country.