By Abdulwahab Muhammad
Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, CON, FNIPR, has been honoured with the Award of Excellence for Good Governance and Best Performing Governor of the Federation by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
The award was presented during the plenary session of the 55th National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting of SSANU, hosted by the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, and presided over by the Association’s National President, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim.
Governor Bala Mohammed, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Communications, Alhaji Abdulwahab Muhammad, dedicated the award to the collective efforts of his administration in transforming the education sector and advancing human capital development in Bauchi State.
The Governor conveyed his appreciation to the leadership and members of SSANU for the honour, while expressing regret over his inability to attend the event personally due to the passing of a close relation on the eve of the ceremony.
Receiving the award on the Governor’s behalf, Alhaji Abdulwahab Muhammad described the recognition as a testament to the administration’s unwavering commitment to educational development, infrastructural renewal, and institutional growth across the state’s tertiary institutions.
He highlighted key achievements of the Bala Mohammed administration, including the construction of road networks at Sa’adu Zungur University and Tatari Ali Polytechnic, the revival of the School of Agriculture, the comprehensive upgrade of the Ali Dangote College of Nursing Sciences, and the renovation of the Bill and Melinda Gates College of Health Technology.
He also cited the accreditation of new academic programmes across state-owned tertiary institutions, the establishment of the College of Education, Dass, and the Bauchi State Oil and Gas Academy, Alkaleri, established to prepare young people for opportunities in the emerging energy sector.
According to him, the administration has equally provided complementary infrastructural and institutional support to federal tertiary institutions in Bauchi State, reaffirming Governor Bala Mohammed’s belief that investment in education remains the foundation for sustainable development.
Alhaji Abdulwahab Muhammad thanked SSANU for recognising the Governor’s efforts and assured the association that the Bauchi State Government would continue to prioritise quality education, academic excellence, research, innovation, and staff welfare across all levels of the education sector.
Other personalities honoured at the event included the Vice Chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University for his visionary leadership, the SSANU National President, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, for his outstanding service to tertiary education, the Registrar of ATBU, and several other distinguished individuals for their contributions to the advancement of higher education in Nigeria.
The 55th SSANU NEC meeting attracted delegates from universities across the country, who gathered in Bauchi to deliberate on matters affecting university administration, staff welfare, and the future of Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
