Rasaq AbdulKareem/
The business educational development of Northern Nigeria got a boost at the weekend when renowned businessman, Aliko Dangote, donated a N1.2 billion ultra-modern business school edifice to Bayero University, Kano (BUK).
Described as the first of such in the northern part of the country, the school christened Dangote Business School, according to the business mogul would be affiliated to the Harvard Business School, in the United States of America.
Speaking at the opening of the school at the new site of the University, Dangote said that no effort was spared to ensure that the school met international standard and it’s one of the biggest in the sub-Saharan Africa.
Dangote said the Business School, which was commissioned by the Kano State Governor, Abdulzhi 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 in northern Nigeria, adding that the school, as accredited by the Nigerian University Commission, would be the first business school to offer Doctor of Business Administration PhD program in Nigeria.
According to the Africa’s richest man, 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 would 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 could accelerate entrepreneurship in the country.
He said that he agreed to build the edifice because of his conviction that good quality education was the bedrock of meaningful development in the country and only a sound mind could facilitate development.
He added that the school would train African Business leaders by carrying out research on how Nigerians could do business in the very particular kind of environment and succeed.
On his part, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Muhammed Yahuza Bello said that with the new business school, the university was poised to serve the society better through training, research and services.
He added that 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 would live by its name and tradition.
Explaining the uniqueness of the school, he said that the new structure comprised of 650 seating capacity auditoriums, two theaters, four lecture halls, two libraries, incubation center, two cafeterias, 800kva soundproof generator and borehole, among others.
In their separate remarks, Gov. Ganduje, represented by his Deputy, Prof. Hafeez Abubakar, his Jigawa State counterpart, Gov. Muhammed Badaru Abubakar and the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II, showered accolades on Dangote for his several interventions in various sectors in the state and beyond, urging other wealthy individuals to emulate.
Prof Abubakar said that Nigerians had a lot to learn from Dangote “whose wealth has no influence on his humility and is ever willing to do for his immediate environment and make the society better”.
He pleaded with the University authorities to grant Dangote the opportunity to lecture once in a while in the school, even if it’s interactive session because he has a lot to offer beyond what is available in the text books as a successful businessman.
Emir Sanusi said that what Dangote had done was what he had always advocated for other Nigerians to do and that until Nigeria gets education right a lot of things might not fall in place as expected.
He expressed his appreciation to Dangote for rising up to the occasion each time he calls on him to do one thing or the other in the interest of the society.
Sanusi urged other well meaning Nigerians to emulate him and contribute to the development of their society.
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