Zulum preaches hard work, humility at Al-Hikmah varsity’s 20th anniversary

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has charged faith-based institutions to produce graduates trained in spirituality and morality to help Nigeria overcome its current moral decadence and social vices.

Delivering the 20th-anniversary lecture of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, themed “Two Decades of Excellence: Al-Hikmah University’s Impact on Scholarship and Educational Development in Nigeria,” Governor Zulum urged Nigerian youth to embrace humility and hard work.

Zulum, who recalled being the son of a peasant farmer and a commercial driver plying the Maiduguri-Okene-Ibadan roads, advised the youth to respect their parents, sacrifice for humanity, and have a love for hard work.

According to him, shortcuts to success often end in regret and disaster. He said: “Hard work is good, but humility takes you far in life.”

“Hard work is one thing, but humility is the best. When I finished my Master’s degree, I went to my village to farm with my parents. I could have remained in Maiduguri wearing babanriga, but because I had to be obedient to my parents, that is why I am what I am today,” he said.

Also speaking, the former governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Aminu Masari, described the founder of Al-Hikmah University, Dr. Abdulraheem Oladimeji, as a great contributor to quality education in Nigeria.

The two-term former governor of Katsina State said that Oladimeji’s efforts to prioritize education in Nigeria have made a meaningful impact on the lives of Nigerian youth.

In his address at the 20th anniversary dinner/award night of the university, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Noah Yusuf, regretted that the university’s most pressing challenge is inadequate funding.

The VC also stated that the ripple effect of the funding challenge is the inability to meet some critical needs of the university.

He, therefore, appealed for support from the university’s friends in constructing hostels, building faculty buildings, and jointly constructing classrooms and offices to be endowed after the names of the donors.

He added that scholarship grants for indigent students and research funding for academic staff are among the many problems facing the university.