The newly commissioned 160-seat capacity lecture for students of ATBU, Bauchi
ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
A multi-million 160-seat capacity lecture theater has been donated to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi, by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.
Speaking while commissioning the legacy project, which was built within five months on Tuesday at the Gubi Permanent Site of the institution, The President and Chairman of Council of the CIBN, Bayo Olugbemi, described the feat as a fulfillment of a dream long conceived.
He said a similar structure is being built in each of the six zones of the country. This is just as he congratulated the Governing Council, Management, Staff and Students of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, for emerging as the beneficiary institution from the North-East geopolitical zone.
“As you may be aware, the Institute resolved to institute a legacy project in one higher institution under the linkage programme of the Institute, in each of the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. I am happy to announce that the dream is fast becoming a reality.
“We were at The Polytechnic Ibadan (South-West Zone) last week to commission the project, we are here today for the commissioning of the project in ATBU (North-East geopolitical Zone), we will be at Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri (South-East Zone) next week for the commissioning of the project. Construction is ongoing at Rivers State University, Port Harcourt (South-South Zone) and Kano State Polytechnic (North-West Zone) while work will be commencing at the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa (North-Central Zone) shortly.
160-seat capacity lecture theater donated to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi, by CIBN
“This edifice that is being commissioned today, it will be known and called “The CIBN Bankers’ Hall and will serve as the meeting point for the training and development of future ready bankers. The facility is a 160 seater lecture theater, fully furnished and equipped with ultra-modern facilities.
“This edifice will provide conducive learning environment towards the delivery of high-quality education to future bankers,” he said.
Olugbemi called on the students who are the beneficiaries, to make good use of the facilities provided and safeguard it for others coming behind. He also appealed to the management of ATBU to give priority attention to the maintenance of the edifice so it can retain its glamour.
He said the project represented CIBN’s modicum contribution to the development of banking and finance education in Nigeria, adding that more specifically, the Institute embarked on this project to encourage and motivate students of northern extraction to take interest in the banking profession, as a catalyst for growth and development in the region.
In his remarks, The Registrar/Chief Executive, CIBN, Seye Awojobi, described the occasion as a remarkable day in the history of the linkage partnership between the Institute and ATBU, Bauchi and expressed gratitude to God that the project which has been a vision of the Institute for many years, has become a reality today.
According to him: “The linkage partnership with ATBU, Bauchi, commenced on June 12, 2014, and has since been a rewarding and a fruitful relationship. Over the years, the school has driven the Linkage agreement, encouraging students, not only in the Banking and Finance department, but other social sciences, to register as members of the Institute and ultimately, write the Professional Banking Examinations.”
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor, ATBU, Prof. Abdullazeez Muhammad, who commended the CIBN for donating the edifice to the institution, expressed the readiness to improve on the existing relationship with the Institute and put the facility into use for the betterment of the students and the future of Nigeria’s economy.
Muhammad, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration, Prof. Ibrahim Garba, said: “The university shall mobilize more students participation and we will continue to fulfill our part to actualize the memorandum of understanding that we’ve already put in place. We pray that the CIBN will continue to push the frontier of knowledge and assist also in pushing these frontiers through their generosity, corporate social responsibility to all institutions across the country.”
