Economy
ABU Celebrates 63rd Anniversary In A Low-Key With Special Prayers
ABU Celebrates 63rd Anniversary In A Low-Key With Special Prayers
ABU celebrates 63rd anniversary in a low-key with special prayers. The director said at inception, ABU had four faculties and 426 students.
The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, says it is marking its 63rd anniversary in a low-key manner, with special prayers.
The institution is 63 years old today, Saturday, October 4, 2025.
Auwalu Umar, director, public affairs directorate of the university, disclosed this in a statement issued in Zaria on Saturday.
He said: “The university, founded on October 4, 1962, marked the anniversary in a low-key manner, with special prayers offered by staff and students at mosques and churches across the two campuses.
“The special prayers offered by staff and students are for the continued growth and development of the institution.”
According to him, as part of the activities for the anniversary celebration, the Vice-Chancellor, Adamu Ahmed, will address a press conference highlighting the university’s major contributions to national, regional, and global development.
Mr Umar said ABU traced its origin to the recommendations of the 1959 Ashby Commission on Post-School Certificate and Higher Education, which proposed the establishment of a university in Zaria to serve the then Northern Region of Nigeria.
“A law establishing a Provisional Council for the proposed university was enacted in April 1961 by the Legislature of Northern Nigeria.
“The council was inaugurated in November 1961 under the Chairmanship of Sir Kashim Ibrahim, who later became Governor of Northern Nigeria and the university’s first Visitor.
“Sir Norman Stanley Alexander, a New Zealander and Professor of Physics at the then University College, Ibadan, was appointed as the first Principal and later Vice-Chancellor, assuming office in November 1961,” he said.
Mr Umar said the university was named after Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Nigeria, who also served as its first chancellor, and officially opened it on October 4, 1962.
“ABU evolved from several earlier institutions, including the Nigerian College of Arts, Science, and Technology, Zaria (founded in 1955); the Clerical Training Centre, Kongo (1957); the Samaru Agricultural Research Station (1924); and the Shika Stock Farm (1928),” he said.
The director said at inception, ABU had four faculties—agriculture, engineering, law, and science—with 15 academic departments and 426 students.
He added that following the Ahmadu Bello University (Transition) Provisions Decree of 1975, the institution became a federal university.

ABU Celebrates 63rd Anniversary
“From its pioneering Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Norman Stanley Alexander, to the current helmsman, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, ABU has expanded remarkably in size, scope, and academic depth.
“By 1987, the year of its 25th anniversary, ABU had become the largest and most extensive university in sub-Saharan Africa, occupying about 7,000 hectares,” he said
He said ABU currently had 18 faculties, 110 academic departments, and a College of Medical Sciences.
Others are a Postgraduate College, a Distance Learning Centre, the International Institute of Online Education, three Africa Centres of Excellence, and several Research Institutes and Centres.
Economy
Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition
Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition
Lagos assembly strongly seeks suspension of Makoko demolition. The Lagos state house of assembly has called for the suspension of demolition activities in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro waterfront communities following protests by displaced residents and growing public concern over the exercise.
The call was announced on Tuesday by Noheem Adams, chairman of an ad hoc committee set up by Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the house, during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Lateef Jakande auditorium.
Adams called on all state ministries to cease demolition work and promised compensation to the affected residents.
“On behalf of the speaker and all 40 members of the house, we are directing that all demolitions in Makoko, Oko-Agbon, and Shogunro communities should stop from today until further notice,” New Telegraph quoted Adams as saying.
He called for transparency by demanding the full list of taskforce members and the criteria used for engagement, insisting that residents must be actively involved in the process.
“That the taskforce that was constituted, we want to see the list of the taskforce because we want the residents to be duly involved and to be carried along. So we want to have the schedule of those task forces and the criteria for those that we are inviting,” Adams added.

Lagos Assembly
“To the residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro communities, as your representatives, we are giving you all assurances that they will stop demolitions henceforth and there will be compensations for all those whose properties have been demolished.”
Stephen Ogundipe, member of the ad-hoc, said there is need for clear communication, adding that residents targeted for relocation or redevelopment must be informed of the government’s plans in advance.
Babatunde Olajide, special adviser to governor of Lagos on E-GIS and urban renewal, confirmed that $2 million had been earmarked since 2021 to transform Makoko into a modern, internationally compliant water city.
He said enumeration of affected properties is underway and reiterated the administration’s commitment to handling the situation with a human face, prioritizing resident safety and fair compensation.
Yusuf Sagra, baale of Makoko, described the assembly’s decision as a “word of peace,” while Orioye Ogungbure, another leader of the community, praised the “democratic responsiveness” of the government.
Crime
EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video
EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video
EFCC arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for alleged naira mutilation in viral video. The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 arrested a Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa over alleged Naira mutilation.
Inuwa was arrested following a viral video circulated on social media platforms where she was seen conspicuously cleaning mucus from her nose using Naira notes.

EFCC
Following the release of the viral video, the Commission swung into action by tracing and subsequently arrested her to answer questions.
She is currently being held at the Commission’s detention facility while investigation is ongoing.
The suspect will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
Dele Oyewale
Head, Media & Publicity
February 3, 2026
Economy
Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Access Bank gets new board chair Ifeyinwa Osime. Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29.
Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29, according to a statement to the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. on Monday.
Ms Osime, a legal practitioner, joined Access Bank’s board in November 2019 as an independent non-executive director and had chaired its Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and the Governance, Nomination, and Remuneration Committee. This role made her contribute significantly to the bank’s corporate governance, leadership development, and sustainability initiatives.
Additionally, Ms Osime is a director at Ebudo Trust Ltd. and a partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises on corporate and commercial matters and contributes to strategic leadership.
She is also a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Women Corporate Directors, Nigeria Chapter, and the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria, where she serves on the Executive Committee of the Women Sectoral Group.

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime
Beyond her professional responsibilities, Ms Osime is committed to mentoring youths and is actively involved in the Autism and Developmental Delays Support Community, reflecting her dedication to inclusion and social impact.
Speaking on her appointment, the group chairman, Aigboje Aig-lmoukhuede, said, “Mrs Osime is a principled and experienced leader with a deep understanding of the Bank’s strategy and values.
“She has demonstrated strong commitment to the bank’s vision and mission, and I am confident that, under her leadership, the bank will continue to advance its strategic objectives of delivering sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders in the pursuit of its vision to become the world’s most respected African bank.”
Mr Aig-lmoukhuede also congratulated Mr Usoro on the completion of his tenure and on his exemplary leadership, dedication, and significant contributions to the group, saying he remains a valued member of the Access family.
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