BUK has the potential to lead African Varsities – Emir Sanusi

Bayero University, Kano will soon assume a leadership position in teaching and research among the best universities in the Continent of Africa, Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has disclosed.

He said the University’s exploits in academics in recent times has put it in a pole position among both the first generation universities and its peers, adding that ‘I am optimistic that in no distant future, Bayero University will definitely become a leading citadel of learning in the continent.’

The emir who spoke on Wednesday 3rd July, 2019 when he received the leadership of BUK’s African Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy (ACEPHAP) led by its Director, Professor Hadiza Galadanchi and a team the Centre’s partners from Sheffield University, United Kingdom, and Babcock University, Ilisha on a courtesy call in his Palace.

Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II commended the BUK management for raising the academic standard of the University through teaching, cutting edge research and postgraduate training, adding that the successes recorded by BUK academically were the reasons why universities in the world are entering into collaborations with the University. ‘It goes to show that BUK’s academic exploits are being recognized and appreciated,’ the emir remarked. 

 The emir added that he was not surprised by the World Bank grant won by BUK’s Centre for Population Health and Policy which elevated its status into African Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy to spearhead postgraduate training to acquire knowledge, skills and competence towards achieving health-related SDGs as well as to conduct cutting edge research to strengthen capacity and capability and to also translate such research findings to policy and practice.

He said although postgraduate training as well as conducting cutting edge research with a view to finding solutions to some of the SDGs focuses which included maternal mortality, malnutrition, child mortality, hunger, poverty and diseases etc.,are good initiative, but stated that he would have preferred a situation where the girl-child and by extension members of the wider community are educated and enlightened on the importance of child birth spacing, girl-child education, reproductive health and hygiene.    

Malam Muhammadu Sanusi believed that 70 per cent of the problems are lack of education and awareness, saying that ‘we must focus on the root cause of the problems. This, we can do by creating awareness and educating members of the society as well as for government and wealthy individuals to compliment government efforts by investing in health and education,’ he counselled. 

He congratulated Professor Hadiza Galadanchi for being able to secure the World Bank grant, this he said showed that the good work she has been doing in the health sector is being recognized.  

Earlier, the ACEPHAP Director, Professor Hadiza Galadanchi had told the emir that they were in the palace to seek for his blessings and support as usual and to lead a team of academics from Sheffield University, United Kingdom and Babcock University, Ilesha, Nigeria who are partners of the centre and are attending a 5-day Prime Partners Research Capacity Workshop being hosted by the Centre.

The workshop attracted academics and scientists from the two universities who are partners of the Centre as well as local participants from Departments of Paediatrics, community medicine, public health, Nursing, Psychiatry, Biochemistry and Obstetrics.

She informed the emir that the Population Health and Policy Centre had won a World Bank grant to train postgraduate students and to conduct cutting edge research as well as to translate such research findings into policy and practice to address some of the areas SDGs is focusing, adding that the workshop is being held as part of the training mandate of the centre in line with the requirement of the grant.

She added that the Prime research workshop focuses on training in Grant Writing, Research Prioritization, Research Methodology and Writing Club, saying that at the end of the workshop participants would have added more knowledge on conducting research and translating research findings to policy and practice.

BUK has the potential to lead African Varsities - Emir Sanusi