Nigerian gov offers university’s best graduating student Hajj slot

One of the governors in the northern part of the country,  Dr. Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State, has offered the overall best-graduating student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), Abdullahi Sherif, a fully funded trip to Saudi Arabia for 2026 Hajj exercise. 

The governor revealed the gesture during the university’s 42nd convocation ceremony, held on Saturday at its main campus.

Aliyu, an alumnus of UDUS, said the recognition was in honour of Abdullahi’s exceptional performance, graduating with a 4.92 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) from the Department of Microbiology.

He also praised the institution’s achievements and assured of greater partnership with the university in advancing innovation, skills development, and education reforms.“This university has profoundly impacted lives both within Nigeria and beyond Africa,” the governor said. “Its contributions to national and international development cannot be overestimated, and today’s graduates should be proud to be part of that legacy.”

The governor further highlighted steps his administration has taken in the education sector, including settling N1.845 billion in outstanding tuition fees for Sokoto medical students at home and abroad, appointing four UDUS professors to head strategic education sectors in the state, and upgrading schools across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Bashir Garba, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s education reforms, describing them as transformative for the higher education system.“The Tinubu administration’s commitment to revitalising public universities has already begun to yield positive results,” Garba said. “From improved funding frameworks to policy reforms aimed at enhancing academic quality and institutional autonomy, this dispensation is laying a stronger foundation for sustainable growth in higher education.”

The ceremony attracted dignitaries, including representatives of President Tinubu, the Sultan of Sokoto, the Oba of Lagos who also serves as the university’s Chancellor, members of the National Assembly, diplomats, traditional rulers, senior scholars, and alumni.

The event also featured the conferment of honorary awards: former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Faruku Yahaya (retd), received a Doctor of Science; Sheikh Aminu Durawa, an Islamic scholar, was honoured with Doctor of Letters; and Professor Dejo Abdulrahman was named Emeritus Professor for his service to the institution.