By Gidado Shuaib
“Do
your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put
together that overwhelm the world.” – Desmond Tutu
My
curiosity shot up after receiving a call from Adnan Mukhtar, an assistant to
Professor Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo, requesting me and other media practitioners to
visit Kano, specifically Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria (MAAUN)
founded and funded by the academic.
The
feeling was inspired by the amazing stories I read about Prof. Gwarzo’s
unflinching commitment towards education and development in Northern Nigeria.
The invitation gave me an opportunity for an on-the-spot assessment of the
university’s structures and an encounter with the philanthropist.
Licensed
to operate in Kano, MAAUN has since reached over 80 per cent completion –
infrastructure and manpower. Located in Hotoro GRA in Nasarawa Local Government
Area of Kano, the institution has brought life to the entire area. Its presence
has raised the value of real estate. For instance, a property initially valued
at N70million is now N150million or more.
Many
are investing in private student hostels, business centres and restaurants in
anticipation for the take-off of the magnificent project which will turn around
the fortunes of tertiary education in the North and the country in general.
On
arrival at MAAUN, we observed the great edifice, the attention to details and
the readiness to positively impact on humanity. The facilities can rival those
of other top ranked universities in Nigeria. The graduates will no doubt make a
difference in the real world in terms of employability and relevance.
Prof.
Gwarzo is a veritable case study of humility. Despite his elitist personality,
he personally received us. The act gave me flashbacks of stories I read about
his magnanimity and love for people. Interestingly, despite towering
achievements, the Professor of French Linguistics is in his early forties.
During
the tour, our host never spoke about himself like self-effacing individuals.
Prof. Gwarzo focused on his quest to leave behind a footprint of service. To
him, building more schools in Northern Nigeria will help to reduce crime and
unemployment. He disclosed that another project, Franco-British University in
Kaduna, is ongoing.
Prof.
Gwarzo explained that his vision was to see every northerner attend tertiary
institutions by 2040. This vision struck us due to how passionately he spoke
about the well-being of others. A private university is often an investment and
the investor looks forward to financial return. But the reverse is the case
with MAAUN.
I
deduced that the founder’s intention is not profit-making. It is pertinent to
add that hundreds of students are offered scholarships to study any course of
their choice. This is in addition to Prof. Gwarzo’s full scholarship to over
500 students studying Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science and Mass
Communication in the Niger Republic campus of the institution.
Many
universities in Nigeria have also benefited from the patriotic citizen’s
philanthropic gestures. He donated 30-seater luxury buses to select places of
learning in Kano, Kaduna and Katsina states. Little wonder the Federal
University, Dutsinma, in Katsina, named a clinic after him.
Advancing
the course of an egalitarian society, Prof. Gwarzo has a foundation in his name
where he sends less-privileged children to school, provides buses, learning
materials, among others. I also heard that he built a secondary school in the
area MAAUN is situated as part of corporate social responsibility.
My visit will remain
memorable and I cannot wait to see Prof. Gwarzo plans come to fruition. Even
though he does not like his trumpet blown, I believe history will forever be
kind to a man promoting quality education and devoting resources to the
ordinary people. “The ultimate goal is to help Nigeria grow”, he said.
Gidado
Shuaib, a media practitioner, can be reached on giddyshuaib@gmail.com