By Ibrahim (Kolapo) Sanusi
The announcement of Professor Adamu Ahmed’s appointment as vice-chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University filled me with profound nostalgia, transporting me back to my formative years as his student between 1993 and 2000, and later to that memorable evening in 2021 when we stood for hours near the Faculty of Environmental Design staircase, engrossed in passionate discourse about post-pandemic development strategies. The physical discomfort never deterred Professor Ahmed, the same dedicated teacher who, decades earlier, had patiently guided me through the complexities of regional development planning, leaving an indelible mark on my professional trajectory.
Professor Ahmed’s academic journey mirrors the intellectual resilience I witnessed both as his student and later as his professional colleague. Rising through ABU’s ranks from undergraduate to professor, he earned his BSc in Geography before obtaining his MSc (1990) and PhD (2000) in Urban and Regional Planning from our alma mater. During my seven years under his tutelage, I gained more than textbook knowledge – I learned from a master how theoretical frameworks intersect with real-world development challenges, lessons that continue to inform my work as a Regional MERL Expert to this day.
That 2021 standing discussion perfectly encapsulated Professor Ahmed’s enduring character. As we analyzed Nigeria’s development trajectory, he drew from his multifaceted experiences as Commissioner of Lands and Survey in Bauchi State, just as he had once used practical examples to illuminate our classroom theories. His unique gift lies in blending scholarly rigor with grassroots understanding, a quality I first recognized in his lectures on regional development systems and saw reaffirmed decades later in his policy insights.
His recent appointments first as Pro-chancellor of the Federal University of Education, Kano (June 2024) and now as ABU’s Vice-Chancellor represent natural progressions for a man whose leadership has always harmonized intellectual depth with administrative acumen. The Governing Council has chosen not just an accomplished scholar but the same inspiring teacher who transformed how generations of students, myself included, understand urban and regional development.
As he assumes office, I recall his words during our marathon discussion: “True progress requires vision and stamina.” Professor Ahmed personifies this philosophy from patiently explaining development models to undergraduates like I once was, to standing for hours debating policy with a former student to now steering Nigeria’s premier university. ABU gains a leader whose humility matches his brilliance, whose door remained open to students past and present, and whose impact extends far beyond the classroom.
To my esteemed teacher, the architect of my understanding of regional development systems and now Vice-Chancellor – may your tenure be as transformative for ABU as your lessons have been for all fortunate enough to learn from you. Your ascension proves that the mightiest intellectual giants stand tallest when they remain grounded in humility.
Sanusi is a Regional MERL Expert, & Prof Adamu’s Former Student