Meet The Great Minds Behind The Creation Of A.B.U Campus Press After 60 Years Of The Institution’s Existence -By Mohammed Aliyu Baba

Ahmadu Bello University Samaru, Zaria; is a federal government research university located in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. ABU was founded on the 4th October, 1962, initially as the University of Northern Nigeria. The university operates two campuses at Samaru (the main campus) and affiliated campus Kongo; all in Zaria city.

ABU is not only ranked the most largest and prestigious University in its host country but also in the whole Sub-Saharan Africa, and the second largest in the whole of the African continent after the University of Cairo in Egypt.

Since its inception sixty years ago, this great institution has produced great and well respected personalities across Nigeria, Africa and all over the world. Between 1962 and 2012, the great A.B.U was said to have produced about 800,000 graduates in its 50th year anniversary. The alumni of the institution comprise of a President, Late Umaru Musa Yar’adua, including three Vice presidents, first ladies, several state Governors, Lawmakers, Chief Judges, SGFs, Ministers, Academicians, Technocrats, Human right activists among many others too numerous to mention.

However, throughout these long periods of its establishment and existence, A.B.U does not have a fully recognized campus based students’ press outlet that can be managed wholly by students and fully served as a practicing platform (especially) for students journalists, thereby giving way for campus journalism to strive on both campuses in Samaru and Kongo respectively.

Although the information gathered from an online media platform, “THEABUSITE” said A.B.U is hosting about eight popular clubs on both campuses. Viz.:

• Enactus ABU: According to the report, Enactus is not only made up of students alone, but also academicians, and business minded individuals who are zealous enough to change the lives of the Nigerian populace through entrepreneurial activities.

“Enactus (ABU) is top on the list of
Student Clubs in ABU Zaria. It is a
community of student, academic, and
business leaders committed to using
the power of entrepreneurial action
to transform lives and shape a better
a more sustainable world.”

• African Union Students Club: This exists in many universities in Nigeria and beyond. Its major mandate is (mainly) to strengthen peaceful coexistence and economic development on the African continent. It also has goals of promoting knowledge and creating unity among African youth.

• Next is; Creative Writers Club: This consists of students with an enthusiastic mindset for writing who promote their writing skills. Here, the students who dive into all forms of writing come together to learn and encourage each other to inculcate the habits of reading and writing.

“The Creative Writers Club is a group
of students that promote the art of
creative writing by sharing experiences in writing, to encourage, and to learn from each other. Reading and critiquing members’ original work is the focal point of each meeting. All types of writing are explored.”

Others are: Junior Chambers International, The ABU Plugging Club, STEMcoders Club, The Hult Prize and Ahmadu Bello University Developers (ABUDevs).

However, with all of these clubs in existence in Ahmadu Bello University, none has the mandate/goal to feed the management, staff, students and allies of this great institution with information they are direly in need of through formal students’ communication channel; including Creative Writers Club that has journalistic flavor.

It is with this great challenge that some great minds who are currently undergoing their first degree programmes at various levels in this prestigious institution came together to (officially) fill the information and communication gap that has been in existence for 60 years of the University’s establishment. Hence, “A.B.U CAMPUS PRESS.

The newly created Press has a series of goals/objectives for its effective operations on the campus and beyond its domain.

Permit me to use the popular adage in my local language that says: “eni man musun enizto gan gosan.” Meaning, a song is sweeter in the mouth of the singer than that of the interpreter or even an orator. As such, I’ll be linking you directly to the words of the pioneer President of the club in person of Comrade Ishaq Bilal who took the audience through the objectives of the club at the first inaugural meeting and Press Club’s workshop held at the faculty of social sciences recently. Enjoy!

“Gentlemen And Ladies Of The Press, It’s a good thing to know but a better thing to act what is known.
“It is with this that we announce the official flag off of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Campus Press, (ACP). A club that enables students of journalism and those interested in the field of Mass Communication to practice Journalism on Campus and also engage in order Mass Communication activities.
“We operate alongside other benefits like helping to fight stage fright, developing our writing skills as well as training in photography, cinematography and so on and so forth.”

At this juncture, permit me to serially unveil the game changers, icons of campus journalism, pillars of fact, oceans of information, communication magicians and strategists, enigma pioneer executives, and ultimately, founders of ABU Campus Press (ACP).

          Here, We Have:

• Ishaq Bilal as the President
• Boyi Shekaina ( Vice President)
• Ibrahim Abdusalam (Sec.Gen)
• Chikere David (Fin. Sec.)
• Christiana (Treasurer)
• Tijani Oluwaseun

           (Publicity officer)

• Musa Abubakar Sodiq   

           (Editor in chief)

• Olagoke Hammed Ayanfe (Assistant editor in chief)
• Abdullahi Abdulrazaq Sadiq (News editor)
• Jackson Michell                (Fashion news editor)
• Alawode Khalid (Web manager)
• Abhulimen Jonathan (Librarian)
• Ahmad Abdulkadir

          (Marketing officer)

• Abdullahi Aliyu Ibrahim         (Head of disciplinary committee)
• Isa Mubarak

          (Disciplinary committee)

• Aliyu Baba Mohammed

         (level coordinator-300L)

• Berende Hassan Bola           (Level coordinator-200L)
• Hafsat Ahmadu (Special Adviser on Media and Publicity)
• Hajara Zakari

          (special adviser on training), and

• Ogidiolu Daniel

          (Organizing committee)

As at the time of filing in this report, the club has recorded over 500 registered members just within a month of its creation. This is indeed a turning point in the world of information and communication liberation for the students of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The birth of this great Press Club has perfectly communicated the popular saying that reads: “it’s better late than never.”