The Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Malam Jibrin Baba-Ndache has pledged his unalloyed support to the Alumni Association of the Bayero University Kano (BUK) in their quest to give back to society and improve the welfare of underprivileged members as the FCT Chapter holds its 2024 Congress.
Mr. Ndache indicated during a courtesy call by the leaders of the FCT chapter of the Alumni to the VON headquarters, in preparation for their annual congress scheduled for 30th November 2024, at the Auditorium of the National University Commission in Abuja, Nigeria.
He said VON will use both human and material resources to ensure the success of the congress and the objectives of the Alumni, heralding the use of renowned Professor Uba Abdallah as the Keynote speaker, which gives credence to the event.
‘‘We’ll be there. Not only the Bayero University team from VON but also friends. You can count on our support even beyond the congress. VON aligns with the objectives of the Alumni either at the national or at the chapter level. You are home here. Voice of Nigeria is heavy with the number of very competent people who graduated from Bayero University.
‘’For the reportage, all our operational departments, news, programmes, and digital media will all be mobilized there. Of course, you know that we broadcast in eight languages. Four national languages: Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Fulfulde.
“English naturally because it’s our national language. French, Arabic, and Swahili are also there. We are already working to start broadcasting in Mandarin, Portuguese, and Bahasa Indonesia.
“And I’m glad again you chose a man who I also consider as one of my godfathers and a role model, Professor Uba Abdallah, a celebrant. So, you made the right choice. I’m sure he will do justice to that opportunity,’’ he said.
He said VON has been deliberate in broadcasting positive messages about Alumni across the globe and BUK is not an exception because of their importance.
“For me, Voice of Nigeria, we consistently have been telling the story, not just of Bayero University, but all of the alumni around the world.
“So I urge us to also connect with other alumni who are also in diaspora so that they can also be able to amplify and say whatever they want to,’’ he said.
He commended the group for their innovative initiative of visiting NYSC to enlighten graduates of the Bayero University, Kano, as the 21st century, like every generation, comes with challenges that need to be faced.
He urged them to further up the game by organizing talks where experienced graduates of the school can share experiences and expertise with them to overcome challenges while encouraging the alumni to continuously propagate their networking objectives as the inherent advantages go beyond education.
“You get individuals to inspire them, to talk to them, they will feel very inspired. Give them inspirational stories about how to survive and all of that.
“For you to consider yourself a successful person, you need to have a network that works. It’s not enough to be educated. That is how and why we must always work together and amplify this network. Life is a journey and it is a race,’’ he said.
He urged the Alumni to keep up with giving back to Bayero University and the society in general; urging people not to wait until they have enough before they can extend hands of fellowship.
VON’s Mandate
He said as the DG of VON, he will keep on focussing on the mandate of the organization, which is not just to shape a narrative about Nigeria and Nigerians, but also about Africa and Africans to reduce negative profiling of citizens, especially at a time the world is full of misinformation, and disinformation.
“We must be very intentional in telling our own story, and this is part of what we are doing. I would be very unapologetic about the positive story about our own country. There are good stories every day. Not the story of 0.004% of Nigerians who may have found themselves on the bad side, sometimes it may even be a mistake. And then the world will celebrate that negative part. No. Let the world know who we are. What value we bring to the table – Bayero University, other universities, and other alumni and contributions that we make,” he said.
He urged citizens especially the youth to be wary of the information they share on social media platforms, as some may be detrimental to the wellbeing of the country.
Earlier, the Chairman of the FCT Chapter of the BUK Alumni, Alhassan Mohammed, said the purpose of the visit was to formally invite the VON DG who is an alumnus of the organization to attend the upcoming congress.
He said although a health fitness session had been held, and a novelty football match played, which drew a mammoth crowd including new members, the height of the event will be on the 30th November when a congress will be held including a panel discussion on how to strengthen the Alumni Association.
“The first activity that day will be the congress itself at the National Universities Commission. We have Professor Abdullah Uba. He is our keynote speaker. We have the wife of the former Vice President, Dr. Amina Namadi-Sambo, who will be our mother of the day. Then we have the Honourable Minister of State Education, who will be our special guest, and several other dignitaries that will be there.
“We have panelists that will discuss ways on how to strengthen alumni association generally. After that remarkable event, at night, at Army headquarters, we are going to have our gala night dinner, where we are going to celebrate some members and chat ways forward.”
According to him, the group with its endowment of high-profile people in FCT will not negate the core objective of giving back as the government cannot do everything alone, adding that underprivileged members will also be sought for and given necessary attention.
“We have been hearing complaints here and there about government and universities not doing this or that but every time you ask somebody, what have you done within your area of influence, and you find a brick wall.
“So we want to change the narrative. As an individual, we cannot go far. But as a group, we can go very, very far.
He emphasized the importance of Networking, which is the core objective of the group, stressing that there’s a limit to where degrees or qualifications can take one as such the collaboration, and networking between members will bring incredible benefits to both members and the university.”
Other members of the entourage include Mr. Ali Umar, Dr. Hussein Yahaya, Mr. Aminu Idris, Aminu Kankara, and Dr. Omoh Astsenokhai.
The DG VON presented the organization’s plated plaque to the Alumni Chairman, he too was decorated with T-shirt and Cap for the event.
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