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Jaafar Jaafar lifts blind Kano singer from abject poverty with N5m lifeline

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Nazifi Dawud

Jaafar Jaafar, publisher of Daily Nigerian newspaper has revealed how he plans to utilize the N5 million he had generated through crowdfunding to improve the life of an 84-year-old blind Kano singer who was abandoned in extreme poverty.

Kano Focus reports that Mr Jaafar, who addressed a news conference in Kano on Wednesday, said it was sad that Magajiya Dambatta, who had used her singing talents to support enrollment of children in schools during the 1970s and 1980s was left to languish in abject poverty.

Forgotten diva

The journalist lamented how he met the 84-year-old traditional diva, struggling to make a living through street begging in her hometown of Makoda in the outskirts of Kano city.

Mr Jaafar, said his visit to Makoda was “informed by the sudden disappearance of a respectable voice in the traditional musical industry.”

“I met with 84-year-old, dimmed by age who is now blind, but ekes out a living by begging for alms in the village.

“When it was obvious that it was not something we could do alone, we settled for crowd funding, and by the end of the 5-day exercise, a total sum of N5,006,222 was realized to this forgotten heroine,” he said.

According to him, “We have a 3-year upkeep plan for the blind singer that would gulp a total of N1,560,000 for 3 years.”

Mr Jaafar revealed that a monthly stipend of N15,000 would be paid to Mrs Magajiya directly, adding that a quarterly allowance of N15,000 would also be paid to the music legend for soap, perfume and important items.

A new life

Speaking further on the management of the fund Mr Jaafar said the former singer would also be receiving at least N40,000 each year for textile materials and other needs for Sallah celebrations.

He explained that N144,000 would also be paid per annum for Mrs Magajiya’s feeding at N12,000 per month.

“This would be paid to her married grandsons who feed her to ensure that she gets the right nutrition in view of her age. There are two married grandsons who feed her. We decided to alternate this monthly payment between the two grandsons as a measure of control. Total per annum is N144,000,” he said.

Mr Jaafar added that “N5,000 nursing fees would be paid to her grand daughter who nurses and cleans her room and washes her clothes, while another N3,000 school pocket money (would be paid) for her guide (‘Yar Jagora). This would be paid to the mother of the ‘Yar Jagora”.

The journalist further disclosed plans to either buy a house or build a brand new one for Mrs Magajiya as her present abode has become severely dilapidated and unfit for living.

“We have already directed an agent in the village to scout around for a plot of land or a house for sale. Substantial amount of the money raised will be channeled for either building a new house or buying a house for her”, he said.

“We thank ‘Friends of the Community Organisation’ team led by Hassan Gama for their transparent handling and safe keeping of the funds,” he added.

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Dangote donates N15billion to Kano varsity, offers Automatic jobs to best graduating students  

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

 

Group President of the Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, has announced the donation of a whooping N15billion to the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil (ADUSTECH), Kano State. 

 

KANO FOCUS reports that. Alhaji Dangote, who is also the Chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) was reappointed the Chancellor of the University.

 

In his speech at the 5th convocation ceremony, he said the University must be repositioned to lead the race of producing cutting edge research and highly skilled manpower that meets the requirements of market demands, industries and real problem solvers in the Nigerian society.

He said: “It is in this vein that I wish to use this opportunity to announce the launch of the 5-year Development plan which I envision for this institution.

 

“Over the next 5 years, we will commit the sum of N15 billion to the following projects: the design and construction of additional student hostels; the design and construction of a world class Engineering Lab; the design and construction of a world class multipurpose computer lab -open to all students of the institution which will also be equipped with 24-hour internet access to support academic research and the installation of a mini-solar plant to support access to power on campus.”

 

He added that: “We also undertake to design and construct a befitting Senate building that will house the administration of this institution. Finally, we will also reserve post-NYSC employment slots for the best performing graduates in Engineering and other related courses that form part of our areas of interest at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Plant and Dangote Cement Plants.”

 

Alhaji Dangote said the funding for such an institution places a significant burden on the government, which is why, through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, it was able to offset the University’s electricity bill to ease the strain on their finances.

 

“Additionally, to support the infrastructural drive of the University, we built two blocks of Male and Female Hostels with 500 bed spaces each.

“We also ensured the availability of electricity in a specialized University like ours for continuous teaching, learning and research, via the connection of the University to a 33KVA line, and provided a 2.5 MVA transformer and six (6) step-down transformers. This, I believe, has gone a long way in solving the energy needs of the University.”

 

Dangote therefore congratulated the vision of those who dreamt of the institution 25 years ago.

“An institution that began with a student population of 88, today has a population of more than 21,877 students and this combined convocation has a total of about 18,000 graduates. This is indeed a milestone,” he added.

 

In his address, Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf of Kano State commended Alhaji Dangote for contributing financially and morally towards the development of the University, adding that, “all of us will continue to remember you as a visionary and African illustrious industrialist.”

 

The University’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Musa Tukur Yakasa said 18,000 students were being celebrated during the convocation ceremony, having graduated from the university in the last ten years to date.

 

Business mogul Chief Arthur Eze, founder of Max Air and billionaire Alhaji Dahiru Barau Mangal, Senior Advocate Ahmad Adeniyi Raji, and oil magnate and founder of Amasco Oil Al-Mustapha Ado bagged honorary doctorate degrees.

 

The VC said the University has recorded significant strides in its academic journey to greater heights, including program accreditation and a mathematical digital model designed by a university product, Mahmoud Mubarak, for measuring deforestation density.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BUK Achieves 100% Success in 2024 NUC Accreditation: 53 Programmes Fully Approved

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Mu

Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has recorded a landmark academic achievement following the release of the results from the 2024 accreditation exercise conducted by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

In what has been described as a resounding endorsement of the University’s academic standards and quality assurance framework, all 53 academic programmes presented for evaluation were granted full accreditation or accredited status.

The accreditation, conducted between October and November 2024, covered undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across key faculties including Administration, Agriculture, Allied Health Sciences, Arts, Computing, Education, Engineering, Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Social Sciences.

According to a statement signed by the University Registrar, Haruna Aliyu, the development affirms BUK’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence, curriculum innovation, and sustained infrastructural and faculty development.

“This milestone is a testimony to the quality of education and institutional governance at BUK. It validates our position as one of Nigeria’s premier universities,” the statement said.

Key Highlights:

Administration Faculty recorded full accreditation across 13 programmes including the Master of Accounting and Financial Management, MBA, and Islamic Banking & Finance.

Agriculture, Medicine, Pharmacy, and all Engineering programmes received full accreditation, reinforcing the University’s strength in science-based disciplines.

• The Education Faculty had a sweeping success with 14 programmes earning full accreditation.

• Courses in Arts, Social Sciences, Computing, and Science were all rated “Full” by the NUC.

This success is more than academic—it means that all current and prospective students of these programmes can be assured that their education meets the highest national standards. It also ensures the continued recognition of their certificates for employment, postgraduate studies, and participation in national youth service.

Strengthening Nigeria’s Higher Education Landscape

The Registrar expressed appreciation to the National Universities Commission for its rigorous evaluation process and acknowledged the dedication of BUK’s Deans, Heads of Departments, academic staff, and support personnel who worked tirelessly to meet and surpass the benchmarks.

“This achievement is not an end but a motivation to continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge, research, and community engagement. We remain committed to nurturing leaders and innovators who will contribute meaningfully to Nigeria and the world,” he added.

As BUK celebrates this landmark, the University is inviting stakeholders, prospective students, parents, and the global academic community to partner in its journey of growth and excellence.

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Governor Yusuf Pays Over 3 Billion for Secondary School Students to Sit for NECO, NABTEB, NBAIS

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Mukhtar Yahya Usman

The Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has expended over 3 billion naira for 141,175 (one hundred and forty-one thousand, one hundred and seventy-five) Kano students who passed the 2024 qualifying examinations to sit for this year’s NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS (2025).

In a statement issued by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Information, Ibrahim Adam, it was noted that the Commissioner for Education, Ali Haruna Makoda, announced to newsmen in Kano that the State Ministry of Education had released the results of the qualifying examinations for secondary school students in Kano.

These students are studying under the Kano State Teachers Service Board and the Science and Technical Schools Board, where 75 percent of them qualified to write the senior school certificate examinations of NABTEB, NECO, and NBAIS (for Arabic students).

Ali Haruna Makoda stated that the students eligible for payment by the Kano State Government under Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf are those who scored five credits and above.

The Commissioner maintained that all secondary school principals and directors should notify their students of their results so that the state government can effect the payment.

The 2025 qualifying exams for NECO, and NABTEB will enable the students to sit for their 2025 examinations required for admission into tertiary education.

Ibrahim Adam, the Special Adviser to Governor Yusuf on Information, said that since the inception of the administration in May 2023, it has settled registration fees for Kano indigent students for NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS.

The Special Adviser pointed out that apart from settling the fees, Governor Yusuf’s administration has also paid huge outstanding debts for NECO, and NABTEB left behind by former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s administration.

He also said it is part of Governor Yusuf’s declaration of a state of emergency on education and an effort to mitigate the high number of out-of-school children that have bedeviled the state.

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