From Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government has waived all fees and financial obligations for the title of the historic Abubakar Gumi College in Tudun Wada, Kaduna, clearing the path for the establishment of a new university and a School of Nursing Sciences on the site.
Governor Senator Uba Sani announced the waiver on Tuesday, saying the move is aimed at reviving the legacy of the late educationist and philanthropist, Alhaji Ahmadu Chanchangi, and expanding access to tertiary education in the state.
The decision followed months of consultations led by Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi and the family of the late Chanchangi.
According to the government, the proposed Abubakar Gumi University and the Alhaji Ahmadu Chanchangi School of Nursing Sciences will be sited on the vast premises of the existing college.
Officials say the initiative is part of efforts to reposition the institution, which has been in decline since the death of its founder.
“With the granting of the waiver, the proposed institutions are expected to receive a significant boost, with development expected to commence in earnest,” a statement from the government said.
Abubakar Gumi College was founded by the late Alhaji Ahmadu Chanchangi and became one of Kaduna’s most respected schools during its peak years.
Located in Tudun Wada, a community with many low-income families, the school provided free and affordable education to children, including orphans.
It ran two sections: a morning section for Western education and an afternoon section for Islamic education. At its height, the school attracted students from within and outside Kaduna and employed a number of expatriate teachers.
Chanchangi’s contribution to education earned him recognition both in Nigeria and abroad.
“Following the demise of the philanthropist, several efforts were made to reposition and revive the institution,” the government noted. “The Kaduna State Government, recognising the importance of the initiative… has therefore stepped in to facilitate its actualisation.”
State officials say the new university and nursing school are expected to address gaps in higher education and health training in Kaduna and the wider region.
The School of Nursing Sciences is expected to help train more health workers amid ongoing shortages, while the university will offer new degree programmes to young people who previously had limited options.
The initiative, the government said, “will not only revive the historic educational legacy of Abubakar Gumi College and the late Alhaji Ahmadu Chanchangi, but also create new opportunities for quality higher education and professional training for young people in Kaduna State and beyond.”
Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who has championed the project, was instrumental in the consultations with the Chanchangi family that led to the agreement.
Development work on the two institutions is expected to begin once the title processes are concluded.