Former President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, GCFR, has hinted on more hostel accommodation for Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai.

He dropped the hint when the University Management team led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman visited him at his UpHill residence in Minna.

The Elder Statesman appreciated the Management of the University for the courtesy visit and prayed that the University would continue to grow stronger.

He expressed the hope that shortage of hostel accommodation for students would be a thing of the past.

“We will do the best to assist the University,” he emphasized.

Earlier in his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman thanked the Elder Statesman for the excellent services he is rendering to the country and humanity, especially IBB University, Lapai.

Professor Sulaiman equally appreciated the former Military President for the warm reception and told him that the University was in dare need of more hostel accommodation, stressing that the Elder Statesman should come to the rescue of the University, using his immense influence.

He disclosed that another Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) hostel intervention to the tune of Three Billion, Eight Hundred Thousand naira was in the offing for the University.

Professor Sulaiman said that the intervention was for the construction of both male a female hotels with three hundred rooms each.

The Vice Chancellor briefed the former President on the events of the past weeks in the University, which led to its closer.

He stressed that hostel accommodation has become a major nightmare for students of over Nineteen thousand, with over Seventeen thousand living off campus.

On the entourage of the Vice Chancellor were, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Professor Muhammad Aliyu Bello; Registrar, Alhaji Idris Saleh Kusherki; and the University Librarian, Dr. Abubakar N. Usman.

Others were, Bursar, Alhaji Muhammad Alfa Daniyan and the Deputy Registrar, Information, Alhaji Baba Akote respectively.

Prayers were offered for the life of the Elder Statesman, the University, Niger State, and Nigeria.

The Centre for Applied Sciences and Technology Research (CASTER) Building, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai has been named PROFESSOR NUHU GEORGE OBAJE BUILDING.

This was announced by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman at the 100th regular Senate Meeting held in the Senate Chamber, Main Campus, Lapai.

He said the approval for the naming was given by the University Governing Council as recommended by the Management .

Professor Sulaiman said the move is to immortalise late Professor Obaje for his dogged research exploits in the University.

The Vice Chancellor urged other Researchers in the University to continue to maintain the lead in their research activities.

Before his death in November last year, Late Professor Nuhu George Obaje was the Coordinating Director, Research and Development and the pioneer Basinal Chair Professor for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).

Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai has confirmed the promotion
of seven Professors and sixteen others to the position of Readers.

The announcement for the confirmation was made at the 100th regular meeting of the Senate held in the Senate Chamber, Main Campus, Lapai.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman announced that the University Governing Council at its 60th regular meeting held on Tuesday, the 27th May, 2025 had earlier ratify the promotions.

Those promoted to professorial seat are: Dr. Shuaibu Ndagi Sayedi, Professor of Business and Finance; Dr. Adebiyi Alini Adelakun, Open Distance and e-Learning ;
Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Baji, Educational Psychology; Dr. Aliyu Mohammed, Health Education (Mental and Social Health); Dr. Olajide Muili Folaranmi, Adult and Non-Formal Education.

Others new professors are, Dr. Mathew Tersoo Tsepav, Applied Geo-Physics; and Dr. James Obilikwu, Financial Economics respectively.

Those promoted to Readers (Associates Professors) are: Dr. Muktar Bala, Health and Quantitative Economics; Dr. Hussaini Mohammed Majiya, Public Health Microbiology and Biotechnology; Dr. Adisa Mohammed Jimoh, Natural Products Chemistry; Dr. Nmadu Timothy, Human Resources Management; Dr. Muhammed Habiba Maikudi, Applied Plant Mycology; Dr. Mohammed Jiya Lakan, Extension Education and Community Development; Dr. Suleiman Yusuf Bagerei, Food Technology; Dr. Ibrahim Suleiman Kuta, Nuclear and Radiation Physics; Dr. Amuzat Aliyu, Nutritional Biochemistry/Phytomedicine.

Others are: Dr. Musa Emanuel Umaru, Criminology and Security Studies; Dr. Aishat Rabiu Sani, Medical Microbiology (Bacteriology); Dr. Yahaya Say Yadi Mohammed, Environmental Engineering; Dr. Ndanusa Babakatcha, Electronic/Communication; Dr. Usman Naji Gimba, Public Health/Parasitology; Dr. Mohammed Isah Legbo, Pharmaceutical Microbiology; and Dr. Musa Usman, Local Government Administration respectively.

In a congratulatory message, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman urged the promoted academic staff to continue to work harder and use their new positions for the growth and development of the University.

He also extended a congratulatory message from the Visitor, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Niger State, Farmer Muhammad Umaru Bago and the Honourable Commissioner, Tertiary Education, Honourable Abdullahi Adamu Mammagi, urging them to be more dedicated to their primary assignments of teaching and research.

All promotions take effect from 1st October, 2024.

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has approved a Special Intervention Project worth ₦750 million for the construction of a 200-bed capacity students’ hostel at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai.

The project, which will be executed within 36 weeks (9 months), comprise 32 rooms, two common rooms, a modern kitchen, laundry area, a borehole with overhead tank, and each room will be equipped with a private toilet and wardrobe, ensuring a comfortable and conducive environment for students.

Speaking at the signing of the contract, the Vice Chancellor of IBBU, Professor Muhammad Hadi Sulaiman, described the development as a strategic boost to students’ welfare infrastructure, emphasizing the University’s commitment to improved campus life and academic excellence.

“We are grateful to TETfund for this intervention, which aligns with our long-term vision for a student-friendly environment,” he said.

The project followed due process, including a comprehensive feasibility study, geotechnical survey, soil analysis, structural and architectural designs, and the preparation of a detailed bill of quantity, all of which culminated in an open competitive bidding process in line with public procurement guidelines.

The Chief Executive of the construction firm handling the project, Green-View Tech. Limited, TPL Muhammad Hamza has assured of timely and quality delivery pledging utmost professionalism.

“We are bringing our experience and commitment to this project. It is not just about erecting a structure; it’s about creating a lasting legacy for future leaders,” he stated.

The project which will be supervised by Shelter Groove Architects, the consulting firm providing technical guidance throughout the construction phase.

The firm’s involvement is to ensures that best practices in structural integrity and functional design are strictly adhered to.

This intervention is expected to significantly address the accommodation challenges faced by students and further promote academic concentration and well-being on campus.

A Team of Legal luminary from the Nigeria Council of Legal Education has visited the new Faculty of Law at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai for facility verification.

The team which was led by the Director – General of the Council, Professor Isa Hayyatu Chiroma (SAN) was to verify the University’s facilities in both the old and newly constructed Law Faculty buildings.

During the inspection, Professor Chiroma described the new Faculty building as “massive and one of the largest in the country” he had seen, even though it was still under construction.

He noted that, although the building had over 100 offices, lecture halls, a law clinic, a moot court, and an auditorium, which when well furnished will provide excellent learning environment for the take-off of law programme at the University.

He stressed that proper furnishing of staff offices, classrooms, moot courts, and the law library were necessary for the final approval of the Faculty’s law programme by the Nigeria Council of Legal Education.

For the library holdings, the Director – General commended the effort by the University but noted that more hardcopies and e-copies of books were required, especially in core subject areas. He also recommended that the University subscribes to additional legal research databases beyond the existing LexisNexis, emphasizing the urgent need to provide a utility vehicle and a bus for outreach programmes under the Law clinic.

“We are not here to witch-hunt the University, but to help improve facilities and ensure compliance with national legal education standards,” he emphasized.

In his response, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman, expressed gratitude to the visiting team and assured that the University was fully committed to addressing all issues raised.

He disclosed that furnishing contracts for the new Faculty of Law building had already been awarded, but the furnishing could only commence once the main contractor complete work on the physical structure,
confirming that the University had made arrangements to resolve all outstanding issues in no distant future.

Professor Sulaiman also disclosed that the University had secured TETFund intervention for the procurement of more law books and that subscriptions to electronic legal resources, including the Weekly Law Reports, would be made available within a few days.

Regarding transportation, the Vice Chancellor assured that efforts are being made to secure buses for both Law and Medical students.

“We are in contact with His Excellency, the Visitor to the University, and the Niger State Transport Authority for the provision of buses. We are optimistic that they will arrive by July,” the Vice-Chancellor stated.

Professor Sulaiman further explained that four additional offices had been allocated to the Faculty of Law in a provisional block and at professorial complex, pending the Faculty’s full relocation to the new Faculty of Law building by December this year.

On the moot court, the Vice Chancellor disclosed that recent rainstorms had damaged some ceiling work, but repairs were being effected. “We are replacing the suspended ceiling with POP or concrete for durability. All furniture for the moot court has been paid for and will be installed immediately after repairs are completed,” he said.

Professor Sulaiman thanked the team from the Nigeria Council of Legal Education for its objective assessment and pledged continued collaboration to meet all accreditation requirements.

Commenting, the Dean, Faculty of Law, Professor Abdulmunini Baba Ahmed acknowledged the Council’s commendation of the University’s efforts so far and assured that more efforts would be made to ensure that world class facilities are provided for the Faculty of Law to facilitate the take-off of the programme.

In a vote of thanks, the Registrar, Alhaji Idris Saleh Kusherki, represented by the Deputy Registrar Establishment, Mr. Sunday Gana, expressed sincere appreciation to the Director-General of the Nigeria Council of Legal Education and his delegation for the facility verification visit.

He assured the team that the University is fully committed to ensuring the successful commencement of the Law programme and will make every necessary effort to meet all required standards and provisions for a smooth take-off.

Receives Representative on Energy Audit in the Institution

The Vice-Chancellor, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman, has appealed to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) and its collaborator, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), to consider extending the proposed solar mini-grid project beyond the main campus in Lapai to the University’s satellite locations.

Professor Sulaiman made the appeal while receiving the technical team from the REA, who were on campus to carry out an energy audit as part of the first phase of the solar power intervention project. He emphasized that this move would not only serve as a corporate social responsibility gesture to the Lapai community but also enhance access to clean and sustainable energy across the University’s outreach centers.

“It is no longer news that most universities in Nigeria, including IBBUL, are burdened by exorbitant electricity bills, which consume a significant portion of our limited resources,” the Vice-Chancellor lamented.

“We would be immensely grateful if the federal government, through TETfund and REA, could support us by providing alternative power solutions such as solar energy to ease this financial strain.”

He further noted that adopting solar energy would not only reduce operational costs but also promote environmental sustainability through reduced carbon emissions.

“This initiative is not just about cost-saving. It’s about embracing green energy that is cleaner and easier to maintain, and more reliable. Currently, we spend heavily on maintenance replacing broken poles, dealing with faults, and purchasing diesel. With a solar mini-grid, we can redirect those funds to other critical areas of need within the University,” he said

The Vice-Chancellor also highlighted a recent incident where prolonged power outages disrupted student examinations between late March and April. Due to limited supply from the distribution company, stressing that students endured extreme heat conditions during the exams, an experience that the University Management is determined to prevent in future.

Professor Sulaiman reaffirmed the institution’s readiness to support the REA technical team throughout the auditing process and reiterated his appeal for the extension of the project to all University satellite campuses as part of a broader strategy to ensure inclusive and equitable access to renewable energy solutions.

In his remarks, the REA representative, Engineer Richard Yaro, explained the purpose of the visit and assured the University community of the Agency’s commitment to delivering a sustainable energy solution.

“We are here today in collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) to conduct a comprehensive energy audit across the entire University,” he stated.

“The purpose of this audit is to assess the Institution’s current energy consumption and determine its total load demand. This is a crucial step in our plan to deploy a solar mini-grid system that will serve the entire University community by understanding its energy needs.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted full accreditation to three academic programmes at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai.

This was officially conveyed in a letter signed by the Acting Director of Accreditation, Engr. Abraham Chundusu.

The accredited programmes include Mass Communication, Computer Science, and Biology. According to the letter, the accreditation followed a rigorous assessment conducted by the Commission during its visit to the University in October and November 2024.

Engr. Chundusu explained that the exercise was carried out in accordance with Section 10 (1) of the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. This section empowers the Commission to set minimum academic standards and accredit all academic programmes offered by Nigerian universities in line with the law.

The results of the recent accreditation exercise revealed that Mass Communication (under Communication and Media Studies) received full accreditation, Computer Science (under Computing) received full accreditation while Biology (under Sciences) also received full accreditation.

By implication, each of these programmes has been granted full accreditation status for a period of five years. Furthermore, the University is now eligible to mount postgraduate programmes in these disciplines, in accordance with NUC guidelines.

This achievement reflects IBBUL’s commitment to academic excellence and its continuous efforts to meet national and international standards in tertiary education.

Reacting, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman expressed delight with the achievement and thanked the Visitor, Farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago for the support to the Institution.

He assured that IBB University, Lapai would continue to do the needful to achieve academic excellence.

The Vice Chancellor appreciated staff and students for remaining steadfast in academic pursuits.

In preparation for the forthcoming World University Games scheduled to take place in July this year, in Germany, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, has qualified to participate in Taekwondo and 1,500m event in athletics. This remarkable achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, coaches, and support staff.

In a pre-qualification tournament, which took place at the University of Jos, with over fifty universities in Nigeria,
Shittu Ridwan Ola, in an outstanding performance won the Gold Medal in Taekwondo (-74kg), showcasing an exceptional skill and determination.

In the same vein, Mohammed Jibrin Isah secured a Silver Medal in the 1500m event in athletics, demonstrating impressive speed and endurance.

Assessing the performance of the team, the Director of Sports, Dr. Mohammed Aliyu said he was generally impressed as a qualification in a single event is good enough to put IBBUL on the world sporting stage. He expressed gratitude for the support and resources provided by the University Management, which enabled the team to participate in the FISU trial. IBBUL participated in only three events.

He further appreciated the staff of the Directorate and coaches for their tireless efforts, especially BM Dzukogi (Sports Officer), Adamu Kuta (Head Coach), Dr. Dahiru (Athletics Coach), Adamu Kagara (Tennis Coach), and Saddiq Muhammad (Taekwondo Coach).

The Director observed that despite the Dirth in sports facilities at IBBUL, the students achieved the remarkable success.

“We urge the new Vice Chancellor to invest more in sports infrastructure to support our students’ future endeavors and provide them with the resources they need to excel”,he stated.

He further stated that, the Vice Chancellor should construct an affordable Directorate of Sports beside the Professorial office building as the first step towards reorganizing sports in IBBUL.

Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, a private company that contributes to national development and industrialization is set to complete one of the ongoing Lecture Theatre projects in Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai.

A Technical Team led by Arc. Ibrahim Abdullahi of the company’s Civil Project Department visited the University on an on-the-spot assessment of the project to be completed.

The team’s visit was after the University Management ‘s visit to the Chairman of the Company, Colonel Sani Bello, Rtd in Abuja.

Commenting after inspecting the abandoned project, Arc. Ibrahim Abdullahi, assured the Management of the Mainstream Energy Solutions, Ltd readiness to take over the completion of the project.

He maintained that the company is determined to extend its corporate social responsibility to IBB University, Lapai by identifying a project that is critical to the Institution with a view to completing it; stressing that a lecture theatre is very important in the life of every university considering increasing students’ population and new academic programmes being introduced in the Institution.

Responding, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman appreciated the company for the prompt response to take over the project.

He assured of the University’s preparedness to engage the company in more collaborative ventures.

The NAICOM Lecture Theatre project is one of the abandoned projects in the University, which is receiving serious attention for completion within the shortest possible time.

Members of the Technical Team that visited the University were,
Arc. Ibrahim Abdullahi, Civil Project Dept. PEL ZHPP,
Arc. Ahmed Salisu Tijjani, Civil project Dept. MESL KHPP and
Ms. Sylvia Umaru Tukura, CSR Office ZHPP.

 

The Centre for Gender Affairs at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai has marked this year’s International Women’s Day with the theme: “Sensitization on Sexual Harassment and Drug Abuse”.

The event which took place at the Auditorium, main campus, provided a platform for discussions on gender equality, campus safety, and the dangers of drug abuse.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman, emphasized the importance of fostering a safe and inclusive academic environment, acknowledging that both male and female students could be victims of sexual harassment.

He proposed the establishment of campus ambassadors to act as peer educators and urged traditional and religious leaders to actively engage in awareness efforts, warning on the rising prevalence of drug abuse and noting its links to violence and criminal activities with a needed collective action to combat these challenges.

The Director of the Centre, Professor Naomi John Dadi- Mahmud, highlighted the significance of the event, stressing that sexual harassment and drug abuse are serious societal issues affecting young people.

She provided an overview of Nigeria’s legal framework, addressing sexual offenses, referencing Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution, the Penal Code, the Criminal Code, and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP 2015).

In their presentations, Professor Roseline Bukoye, a professor of Counseling and Psychology, spoke on “Sexual Harassment: Morals and Dressing, while Assistant Commander of Narcotics Wade Yakubu Umar from NDLEA discussed, “Sexual Harassment and Drug Abuse”.

They defined sexual harassment as any unwelcome verbal, non-verbal, or physical sexual behaviour that makes a person feel uncomfortable, humiliated, or intimidated, with examples including unwanted touching, suggestive comments, or persistent advances.

Drug abuse, on the other hand, was described as the misuse of substances like cocaine, cannabis, codeine, and opioids, leading to addiction, mental health issues, and other negative consequences.

The speakers emphasized that morality plays a key role in preventing sexual harassment, as respect, self-control, and empathy help individuals understand personal boundaries and the impact of inappropriate behavior.

In her Vote of Thanks, Dr. Balarabe Abubakar Sule, Deputy Director, Centre for Gender Affairs, expressed gratitude to, the Vice-Chancellor, the Speakers and all participants for their contributions.

She acknowledged the Centre’s commitment to gender justice and student welfare, assuring that its impact would continue to be felt across campus.

The event concluded with a call to action, urging students and staff to become advocates of gender justice, campus safety, and a drug-free environment, reinforcing IBBUL’s reputation as a center of excellence, morality, and inclusion.