The International Studies Alumni Association of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria at the weekend put smiles on the faces of 24 indigent students of the Department of Political Science and International Studies of the university as it granted them scholarship to pursue their academic programmes.
The National Public Relations Officer of the association, Alhaji Abdullahi Shuaibu who revealed this in a statement made available to journalists said the gesture was part of the Association’s efforts to mitigate the financial hardship being experienced by the indigent students.
The scholarship covers course registration and tuition expenses.
The National President of the Association, Ambassador Muntari Kaita, said “we have in the last two weeks disbursed the scholarship entitlements to each of the students in order to meet up with the financial commitments.”
Earlier in the day, members the national executive of the association paid a courtesy visit on the vice Chjancellor of the University, Professor Kabiru Bala.
Ambassador Kaita thanked the Vice-Chancellor for the support given to the Association, stressing that whatever the association had achieved was because of the enormous support enjoyed from the Vice Chancellor.
He commended the Vice-Chancellor for the successes recorded since his assumption of office despite the critical challenges of electricity bills and other problems faced by the University.
He intimated the Vice-Chancellor on the progress made on the renovation of the e-Library at the Department of Political Science and International Studies, while expressing optimism that it would be completed before the end of this month for it to be inaugurated before the end of the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor.
He consoled the Vice-Chancellor and the University Community over the demise of the Deputy Registrar (Alumni Relations and Advancement), Malam Bashir Munnir.
In his remarks, the ABU Vice-Chancellor lauded the Association for being one of the most active Alumni associations in the university.
Prof. Bala emphasized that since his contact with the Association, “The executive members have been very serious and focused on their objectives and giving back to the Alma Mater.”
The VC expressed gratitude to the association for renovating the departmental library, describing the gesture as commendable.
This, according to him, underscored that the then Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) was the centre of attraction in ABU, which had shaped so many discussions and government policies in the country.
He used the occasion to urge other alumni groups to emulate the ABU International Studies Alumni Association in giving back to the university.
The Association which was established in 2021 in Abuja, consists of retired diplomats, academics, diplomatic journalists and other professionals, who graduated from the University’s International Studies Programme.
