*Aliko Dangote, Group President of the Dangote Industries Limited, announces donation of N15 billion to Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, in Kano State, Northern Nigeria, assuring of offering automatic jobs to best-graduating students of the University

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Aliko Dangote, Group President of the Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), has announced the donation of whopping N15 billion to Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology (ADUSTECH), Wudil, in Kano State, Northern Nigeria.

Dangote, who doubles as President/Chief Executive of Dangote Group, and Chairman of Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), has also been reappointed the Chancellor of the University.

Speaking at the 5th convocation ceremony, Dangote said the University must be repositioned to lead the race of producing cutting-edge research and highly skilled manpower that meets the requirements of market demands, industries, and real problem solvers in the Nigerian society.

Dangote Group stated the foremost industrialist and philanthropist said: 鈥淚t is in this vein that I wish to take this opportunity to announce the launch of the 5-year Development plan which I envision for this institution.

鈥淥ver the next five years, we will commit the sum of N15 billion to the following projects: the design and construction of additional student hostels; the design and construction of a world-class Engineering Lab; the design and construction of a world-class multipurpose computer lab.”

These, the Chancellor said, would be open to all students of the institution, which will also be equipped with “24-hour Internet access to support academic research and the installation of a mini-solar plant to support access to power on campus.鈥�

Dangote noted: 鈥淲e also undertake to design and construct a befitting Senate building that will house the administration of this institution.

“Finally, we will also reserve post-NYSC employment slots for the best-performing graduates in Engineering, and other related courses that form part of our areas of interest at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Plant and Dangote Cement Plants.鈥�

According to him, the funding for such an institution places a significant burden on the government.

He explained: “Which is why, through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, it was able to offset the University鈥檚 electricity bill to ease the strain on their finances.

鈥淎dditionally, to support the infrastructural drive of the University, we built two blocks of Male and Female Hostels with 500 bed spaces each.”

The University Chancellor stated: 鈥淲e also ensured the availability of electricity in a specialised University like ours for continuous teaching, learning and research, via the connection of the University to a 33KVA line, and provided a 2.5 MVA transformer and six (6) step-down transformers.

“This, I believe, has gone a long way in solving the energy needs of the University.鈥�

Dangote, therefore, congratulated the vision of those who dreamt of the institution 25 years ago.

鈥淎n institution that began with a student population of 88, today has a population of more than 21,877 students and this combined convocation has a total of about 18,000 graduates. This is indeed a milestone.”

In his address on the occasion also, Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf of Kano State commended Dangote for contributing financially and morally towards the development of the University.

Governor Yusuf said that 鈥渁ll of us will continue to remember you as a visionary and African illustrious industrialist.鈥�

Prof. Musa Tukur Yakasa, Vice-Chancellor of the University, said 18,000 students were being celebrated during the convocation ceremony, having graduated from the University in the last 10 years to date.

Others important personalities, business mogul Chief Arthur Eze, founder of Max Air and billionaire Alhaji Dahiru Barau Mangal, Senior Advocate Ahmad Adeniyi Raji, and oil magnate and founder of Amasco Oil Al-Mustapha Ado, bagged Honorary Doctorate Degrees.

Prof. Yakasa, in his address, said the University had recorded significant strides in its academic journey to greater heights.

According to him, these include programme accreditation and a mathematical digital model, designed by a University product, Mahmoud Mubarak, for measuring deforestation density.

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