Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, has pledged seven critical interventions at Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology in Wudil to improve educational progress.
Dangote, the university’s Chancellor, made the offer just a week after paying N100 million upfront to Kano Electricity Distribution Company to restore electricity to the state-owned institution.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Musa Yakasai, which The Punch obtained on Thursday.
According to Prof. Yakasai, the intervention came in response to the university management team’s formal request for his assistance during a thank-you visit to his Lagos office on Wednesday.
Yakasai, who enumerated areas of intervention in the statement, said Aliko Dangote promised to construct a befitting Senate Building for the institution, three additional student hostel blocks and ten senior academic staff accommodations.
Dangote has also volunteered to intervene in other crucial areas, such as upgrading the university’s water treatment facility to alleviate water supply difficulties and funding the university’s 5th convocation celebration.
The Vice-Chancellor revealed that Africa’s richest man restated his plans to provide a sustainable energy solution to the university’s electricity supply crisis, as well as promising to provide official vehicles to the university’s Principal Officers.
The statement reads in part: “The Principal Officers of Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology (ADUSTECH), Wudil under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Musa Tukur Yakasai paid a courtesy visit to the University’s Chancellor, Alhaji Aliko Dangote at his office in Lagos on the 10th of July 2024.”
He stressed that the visit became imperative in order to show appreciation to the Chancellor for his intervention in paying the sum of One Hundred Million (N 100,000,000) upfront as part of KEDCO electricity Bill.
”The payment was made through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, which facilitated the immediate reconnection of the University with electricity supply.
”In the course of the visit, the University management presented to the Chancellor some pressing issues facing the University. In light of this, the Chancellor made the following additional pledges.
”The University Management, on behalf of the State Government, the entire University Community and the good people of Kano State highly appreciate the Chancellor, Alhaji (Dr) Aliko Dangote GCON, the President of the Dangote Group for this landmark intervention.”