Jonathan Eze
The business educational development of northern Nigeria took a new turn at the weekend when renowned businessman, Aliko Dangote donated a N1.2 billion ultra-modern business school edifice to the Bayero University, Kano (BUK), the first of such in the northern part of the country.
Christened Dangote Business School, the business mogul disclosed that talks are on to get the school affiliated with the popular Harvard Business School in the US.
Speaking during the inauguration at the new site of the university, Dangote stated that no effort was spared to ensure that the school building was up to international standard and one of the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa.
He said the school, which was inaugurated by the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, was conceived as part of his contributions towards encouraging world class entrepreneurship education at the highest level in Nigeria.
He described the school as best of its kind, adding that as accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC), will be the first business school to offer Doctor of Business Administration PhD programme in Nigeria.
He added that the business school would ease sharing of business information globally and how future African leaders could advance their businesses, as well as building capacity which will translate to boosting the continent’s economy.
Dangote traced the journey of the construction of the school to the days of Prof. Attahiru Jega as the Vice-Chancellor of the university when he pleaded with him to help in the establishment of a business school that can accelerate entrepreneurship in the country.
He said he agreed to build the edifice because of his conviction that quality education is the bedrock of meaningful development in the country and only a sound mind can facilitate development.
According to him, the school will train African business leaders by carrying out research on how Nigerians can do business in environment and succeed.
On his part, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Muhammed Yahuza Bello said with the new business school, the university is now poised to serve the society better through training, research and services.
He said the university adopted the name ‘Dangote Business School’ because the name Dangote is internationally synonymous with innovation, entrepreneurship and successes in business and industry and pledged that the school will live by its name and tradition.
Explaining the uniqueness of the school, he stated that the new structure comprises 650 seating capacity auditorium; two theatres, four lecture halls, two libraries, incubation centre, two cafeterias, 800KVA sound proof generator and borehole, among others.
In their separate remarks, Ganduje, represented by the Deputy Governor, Prof. Hafeez Abubakar, his Jigawa State counterpart, Muhammed Badaru Abubakar, and the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II showered accolades on Dangote for his several interventions in various sectors in the state and beyond, urging other wealthy individuals to emulate him.
The governor appealed to the university authority to grant Dangote opportunity to lecture once in a while in the school, even if it is an interactive session because he has a lot to offer beyond what is available in textbooks as a successful business man.
Emir Sanusi said what Dangote has done is what he has always advocated for other Nigerians, adding that not until Nigeria gets its education right a lot of things may not fall in place as expected.
