NUC ex-executive secretary, Abdulkadir, dies, buried in FCT

Former Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Idris Abdulkadir, is dead. He passed on at 79 during a protracted illness.

Confirming the passing, a source close to the family said the Professor of Veterinary Medicine, who died on Monday, is survived by a wife and 10 children.

Until his death, the don was Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of Zaria Education Development Association (ZEDA), a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

He was with Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where he rose through the ranks to become Dean of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

Once appointed as NUC boss, the late Abdulkadir relocated from Lagos to Abuja, where he successfully erected the magnificent edifice housing the commission’s headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

To appreciate him, an auditorium was named after him by the organisation.

He was pioneer Chairman, Governing Board of the defunct Zaria Pharmaceutical Company (ZPC) Ltd., Zaria, manufacturers of ZARINJECT disposable syringes and needles.

Abdulkadir was also Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, Kaduna State University (KASU).

He has since been buried in Abuja, according to Islamic rites.