Dangote, Sunmonu bag ABU honorary degrees
Billionaire businessman and President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Hassan Adebayo Sunmonu, will be conferred with honorary doctorate degrees by Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria at its 41st convocation ceremony on April 27.
A statement by the Public Affairs Directorate, issued in Abuja, yesterday, said all the awardees would be recognized for their “immense contributions to the overall development of Nigeria and humanity in general.”
“Dangote will be conferred with honorary Doctor of Letters while Comrade Sunmonu is to be honoured with honorary Doctor of Science,” it said.
During the occasion, Dangote will commission 10 blocks of student hostels consisting of 360 rooms at Site II of the university. The hostels were constructed and donated by Dangote to alleviate the acute shortage of student accommodation in the university.
The convocation would commence on Tuesday, April 23 with the unveiling of ABU new signage at the university’s main gate and North Gate all in Samaru, Zaria by the vice-chancellor, Professor Ibrahim Garba.
Also on Tuesday, there would be a town and gown meeting where management staff, as well as leaders and elders of the neighbouring communities, would discuss issues of mutual interest.
Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu is expected to commission a number of projects in the university on Friday, April 26. These include a twin deanery building for faculties of physical and life sciences, Geology Department extension, ABU Business School extension, Biochemistry Department extension, Area G internal road and Site II entrance gate.
The Friday activities will be rounded off with a convocation lecture by former President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Aigboje AigImoukhuede, entitled ‘It’s All About the Human Capital … Stupid’, chaired by Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed.