Renowned businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, at the weekend, donated a N1.2 billion ultra-modern business school edifice to the Bayero University, Kano, (BUK). The school, which is named after the donor, according to the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Muhammed Bello, will help the institution to achieve its dream of providing worldclass training to Nigerians and Africans by extension in the area of entrepreneurship through cutting-edge research and services. He said the Dangote Business School adopts the name of the sponsor to promote the brand globally considering the global recognition the name would attract to the institution.
He said: “The school is a big project that is rare to come by easily anywhere in the world. The structure comprises 650-seating capacity auditorium, two theatres, four lecture halls, two libraries, incubation centre, two cafeterias, 800kva soundproof generator and borehole, among others.” Meanwhile, Dangote has disclosed that talks are on to affiliate the school to the Harvard Business School in the United States of America.
Speaking at the school’s opening ceremony, Dangote stated that the school was part of his contributions towards encouraging worldclass entrepreneurship education at the highest level in Nigeria. He said as accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the school will be the first business school to offer Doctor of Business Administration (PhD) programme in Nigeria. “It would ease sharing of business information globally and how future African leaders could advance their businesses as well as building capacity which would translate to boosting the continent’s economy,” he said.
Dangote recalled that project came about when Prof. Attahiru Jega was the Vice Chancellor of the university. Jega, he said, pleaded with him to help in the establishment of a business school that can accelerate entrepreneurship in the country. In their separate remarks, the Kano State Governor, Umar Ganduje, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Hafeez Abubakar, commended the donor for interventions in various sectors, urging other philanthropists to emulate him.
The deputy governor called on the university authority to grant Dangote opportunity to lecture occasionally in the school, because he has a lot to offer beyond what is available in the textbooks. Similarly, the Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, and the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II also thanked the donor. On her part, Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Foundation, Hajiya Zuwaira Yusufu, said Dangote had promised to build the edifice three years ago at one of the university’s convocation ceremonies.