Prof. Idi advocates expansion of Usman Bin Fodio academy at 2025 prize giving day
A university don with Modibbo Adama University (MAU), Professor Bello Idi, has called for urgent efforts to expand the Usman Bin Fodio Academy, Yolde Pate, lamenting that the institution has seen minimal growth since its inception two decades ago.
Speaking on Sunday during the 2025 Speech and Prize Giving Day ceremony of the academy, Prof. Idi, who chaired the organizing committee for the event, urged stakeholders, particularly members of the Center for Islamic Thought (CIT), the founding body of the academy, to return to the drawing board and devise effective strategies to reposition the school for growth.
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He noted that the academy has been serving the community for 20 years now adding that despite the longevity, the school has nothing to write home in terms of infrastructural development.
Idi added that key projects such as mosque construction and additional classrooms have stalled for years adding that there is need for renewed commitment and actionable ideas to move forward.
He recounted how the academy began in 2005 as a full-fledged Islamic school before transitioning into a formal institution that integrates both Islamic and Western education. The school, which started on a modest scale, now has an enrollment of over 120 pupils, a figure which according to the professor underscores the urgent need for infrastructural expansion.
In his remarks, chairman of the occasion, Ustaz Abubakar Hamma’adama, paid glowing tributes to the founding members of CIT, describing their unwavering efforts as the bedrock of the academy’s endurance.
He appealed for unity and perseverance among stakeholders, stressing that mutual respect and a spirit of brotherhood remain essential for collective progress.
“We must continue to support one another and face challenges with a sense of shared responsibility. Our collective reward lies in the contributions we make towards education and the development of human capital,” he said.
The guest speaker, Ustaz Ibrahim Mohammed Damare, delivered a compelling lecture on the role of parents in child upbringing. He emphasized the moral and social responsibilities parents must carry in shaping their children’s futures.
He noted that a child without proper upbringing, love, education, and guidance is a potential danger to society adding that many of the criminals we see today are victims of parental neglect.
Dr. Adamu Babikkwai, a special adviser to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri and special guest of honour at the event, called on the school to embed skills acquisition and entrepreneurship into its curriculum.
Represented by Dr. Aliyu Abba, Babikkwai said equipping students with practical life skills early on would enhance their self-reliance and productivity in the future.
In his vote of thanks, Amir of CIT Yola and Executive Director of the Dadah Foundation for Educational Empowerment (DAFEE), Usman Ahmed Dadah, praised all contributors to the academy’s sustainability.
He specifically acknowledged the dedication of CIT members, teachers, local security personnel, and religious and traditional leaders.
Dadah also emphasized the importance of reviving the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and pledged to support the resuscitation of the female Islamic class, which was one of the academy’s founding pillars before it evolved into a formal school.
The event was rounded off with an array of engaging activities, including debates, presentations, and the distribution of prizes to outstanding pupils. The awards were sponsored by DAFEE, the school management, and Engr. Abubakar Buba, a university lecturer and education advocate.
The occasion brought together scholars, educators, parents, and community leaders who reiterated their shared commitment to the academy’s future, stressing that education remains the most potent tool for community development and moral reawakening.
