From Abdullahi Hassan, Zaria
No fewer than  50 students  of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria,  graduated with in Class degree grade  while  250  obtained their Phd within shortest possible perid, The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Ibrahim Garba , has said.

Speaking  at  the 40th convocation of the university on Saturday, Garb said “This happened  for the first in the history of the Institution , to graduate  students with  high number of first class holders  and  many  Phd graduands.”
He said  8, 260  had graduated from  the institution  this year  out of which 3,600 are post graduate Diploma  students  while 2,300  hold Masters degrees.
According to him,  ABU is the largest University with highest students population  in Nigeria with high  increase of applicants annually.

We received no less than undergraduate  15,000 application every year, but we could only admit 10,000 students, so  the competition is higher ‘’.
He said that in order to  stream line the academic activities and  accommodate the increasing number of students, the  university has introduced  Distance learning programmers  at both at  undergraduate and post graduate  level  in various  disciplines include  management studies, Social sciences and education.

“As part of our restructuring  programmes,  the university  had established the A.B. U Business School where  Departments of Business administration, Accounting , Banking and Finance  and  Economics  will be brought  under one School’’.
He said the arrangement of the establishing the school has been supported by the Central Bank and Institute of Charted Accountant (ICAN)  with  the cash  backing of N 6billion to build 250 seaters  complex building.
“We have also  agree to establish the  College of Health  Science to replace  the existing faculty of Medecine. The College will be headed by Provost and deputy. It is going to be an autonomous college like other  arms of the University’’.
On research, Prof. Garba said  already the universities have continued to intensifies effort to impro its research on A.B.U made in Nigerian car, operation of Mini –Refinary, development of ethnol project as well as sugarcane production.
He  complained of the dwindling state of funding to universities noting that not much could  be achieved  in education  without funding.
Prof Garba ,described  the establishment of new universities  by federal government as  wrong approach towards salvaging  tertiary education from  deteriorating  also noted that  the establishment  of new universities without funding  does not reflect the realistic  challenges  face by most nation  universities.