Al-Hikmah Varsity VC Exits Position, Regrets One Thing

Prof. Noah Yusuf, the outgoing Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, whose tenure recently ended, has expressed regret that he could not establish a printing press for the school.

He disclosed this at the weekend in a chat with journalists in his office, noting that although the university had already committed over ₦7 million to the project, certain circumstances halted the plans. “We had made significant progress and invested ₦7 million toward establishing a printing press, but unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances harmed the process,” he said.

Despite that concern, Yusuf highlighted several milestones achieved under his leadership, including introducing inaugural lectures, annual reports, and establishing international schools. He said he resumed office in July 2020 when the university was “virtually at a standstill”, with little infrastructure in place.

“At the time, we had three campuses — Igbaja (spread over more than 100 hectares), Adeta and Atere, none of which were fenced. Today, they are all fully fenced,” he said.

“Also, when we assumed office, the institution had 45 academic programmes and over 3,000 students, but within three months, the National Universities Commission (NUC) scheduled a visit to accredit our 23 courses. We were able to get 21 of those courses accredited at the time. Two years later, the remaining two also got full accreditation. Today, all our courses are accredited,” he explained.

On infrastructural development, Yusuf said his administration successfully transformed the Igbaja campus with four farmhouses and established a gym and recreational centre at the Adeta campus. “We also built hostels at the Atere campus with donations from former Katsina governor Aminu Massari. With that, we got the trust of our students because we patronise them,” he added.

Yusuf described his tenure as a revival period for the university, stating, “When I came on board, the school was almost at a standstill, but we were able to rescue and restore it.” He also emphasised the transformation of the university’s working and learning environment since he assumed office, recalling: “When I came on board, I called on my staff to share their challenges with me,” adding that “over 40 per cent of the staff have been supported with loans, while many have also benefited from sponsorships to attend both local and international training and conferences which has not only improved staff morale but enhanced academic delivery.”