UNIMAID VC Seeks Alumni Support To Sustain Academic Excellence

Gabi Hibbatullah

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri (UNMAID), Prof. Muhammed Laminu Mele, has urged alumni of the institution to strengthen their support for its development.

He said their collective contributions are vital to sustaining academic excellence and national development.

Mele made the call on Saturday at the university’s first Global Annual Reunion Dinner and Awards Night, organised by the University of Maiduguri Alumni Association in Abuja.

The event, themed, “Unity, Resilience and Impact: Building UNIMAID, Strengthening the Nation”, brought together alumni and other stakeholders to celebrate the institution’s achievements and discuss ways of advancing its growth.

The vice-chancellor urged graduates to remain connected to their alma mater and contribute to its development, irrespective of their positions and locations.

“Let us build UNIMAID so that it can continue to strengthen our beloved nation, Nigeria,” he said.

He noted that the university’s graduates had continued to distinguish themselves in various sectors, including government, corporate organisations, security agencies, education and international institutions.

“Wherever our alumni go, whether in the halls of government, corporate boardrooms, security agencies, classrooms or international organisations, they carry the touch of UNIMAID with them, and they do that with unmatched distinction,” Mele said.

He appreciated the alumni for their continued commitment to the institution, saying their support had remained important to its growth and development.

“As an institution, we have faced a lot of trials, but through our collective resilience, bolstered by the unwavering support of the Federal Government, the Visitor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, other state governors, members of the National Assembly, partners and our royal fathers, UNIMAID has continued to thrive and redefine academic excellence, not only in Nigeria but beyond,” he added.

Mele also congratulated recipients of awards at the event, describing them as examples of the rewards of hard work, integrity and excellence.

He urged participants to look beyond the reunion and use the occasion to renew their commitment to the institution.

“Let us see this night not just as a night to wine and dine and remember our days on campus, but also a night for all of us to renew our sacred past,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor also acknowledged Vice-President Kashim Shettima for his leadership and contribution to national development, particularly his role in mobilising support for the successful relaunch of the University of Maiduguri Endowment Fund.

Earlier, the Global President of the UNIMAID Alumni Association, Baba Shettima Kukawa, said his executive team had recorded progress in building a stronger and more inclusive global alumni network.

He said the association had registered nearly 10,000 members through its online portal, describing it as the largest database of the university’s alumni ever assembled.

Kukawa said the platform was also used to conduct the association’s first nationwide online election, from the declaration of interest by aspirants to the announcement of winners.

According to him, the initiative was designed to establish a sustainable institutional structure that would outlive the tenure of the current executive.

He disclosed that the association was developing a scholarship endowment fund, mentorship programme and professional development board to strengthen support for students and graduates.

“These are all things that we believe will be set off before the end of the year,” he said.

In his keynote address, the President of the Worldwide University of Lagos Alumni Association, Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele, described UNIMAID’s survival and continued pursuit of academic excellence despite insurgency and insecurity in the North-East as a demonstration of institutional resilience.

Oyedele recalled that there were suggestions for the university to relocate from Maiduguri during the height of the insurgency but said its continued presence in the city reflected the determination of its management, staff, students and alumni to preserve education.

He urged alumni associations to establish effective leadership succession frameworks to preserve institutional memory and ensure that programmes and initiatives continued beyond individual administrations.

He also called for structured mentorship programmes to help younger graduates navigate unemployment, economic uncertainty and professional challenges.

Oyedele further stressed the need to strengthen relationships among older alumni, undergraduates and current students, saying such connections would enable associations to mobilise their intellectual, professional, financial and social resources for institutional development.

He added that unity should not be mistaken for uniformity, noting that alumni could hold different opinions while remaining committed to a common purpose.