By Abba Anwar
Maintaining resilience attitude while making reference to the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, is neither accidental nor coincidence. This, without walling out any challenges.
When you take him and x-ray his unmatched and uncontested efforts in human development via creation of corridors for our youth, to have access to modern knowledge and skills, you can accept the universal truth that DSP Barau is, but a political messiah. A quintessential political leader of great substance.
Come to think of it. Apart from his singular effort in bringing a Campus of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to his constituency, Kano North, years back, establishment of Federal Polytechnic, Kabo in 2022, before he even became Deputy Senate President, and the most recent effort he put in upgrading the status of Federal College of Education, Kano (FCE), to the status of Federal University of Education, Kano, among many other institutional development, his unparalleled commitment in the development of our youth, is indelible, and down-to-earth.
It isn’t in the shopping list of this piece, to view Barau from the standpoint of his political engagement, as one of the leading politicians from Kano, but rather what we are interested in, is his attachment with the life of our future leaders, the youth.
His struggle for supremacy alongside other politicians in Kano, Northern Nigeria or Nigeria as a whole, is not the concern of this write-up. His committed concern in the repositioning of our people through academic pursuit, with carefully selected fields of study, is what matters most at this juncture.
Just few days back, the Distinguished Senator sent 70 students abroad to study Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Robotic Science. At Postgraduate level. Where 65 students are males and 5 females.
Being perplexed with this life changing opportunity, in the form of Barau Scholarship Scheme, I called the effort and the process as Barau Community of Modern Scholars. Modern because, looking at the Courses of study, you may not need further explanation to tell you how this gentleman is preparing these young people against global challenges. And eventually preparing our state and the North, or Nigeria by extension, against future global face-offs.
This is visionary leadership, with foresight, exactitude, enduring engagement, meaningful productivity, patriotism, unequal fruition, increasing care, independent political will and unwavering support in all circumstances. But any expression short of this, is face-palming exercise.
Another interesting development and main reason why I have been consistent that Senator Barau’s genuine intervention in the development of our people and communities, goes beyond Kano or North, but Nigeria in general, is his recent call for applications from our youth for
Domestic Postgraduate Scholarship Programme, 2025, under the auspices of
Barau I. Jibrin Foundation (BIJF).
Where 300 students will be sponsored for 2025/2026 Academic Session at Postgraduate Level. Even the choice of institutions under this scholarship is not only a sign of seriousness, but genuine engagement for national development.
The institutions are Bayero University, Kano, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Lagos, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. While the choice of these institutions tells us or rather speak to all, directly, what education means to the Deputy Senate President, it further gives us the clearer picture that Barau is, but, an embodiment of human development and societal growth and development, without any hesitation.
I think the entire gamut of Barau’s engagement under the scholarship schemes are the genuine human spirit in him, feeling of collective responsibility without recourse to political opponents, deeper interest in the future of our dear nation, searching for lasting solution to youth restiveness and fighting insecurity from the roots.
Just have a look at the chosen courses of study for the domestic scholarship scheme. All at the Masters level. These are Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Robotics Technology, Data Science, Software Development, Information Technology, Mineral Exploration, Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Oil and Gas Operations, Applied Geophysics, Metallurgical and Material Engineering, Climate Change Management, Mechatronic and Intelligence System.
Modern and global fields of study. Which can only be supported and promoted by advanced minds.
What is most fascinating under this scholarships scheme is how the process started as well as the procedures to be followed for successful take-off and implementation. I learned that, all resources to be expended under this 300 students scholarship, are kept under lock and key. Meaning they are available and ready for disbursement to appropriate quarters and successful candidates.
This scientific arrangement, I can say, tells much about the quality and how qualified are the individuals and bodies working for the Senator on this. Starting from his Chief of Staff, to all others. When you were rightly briefed about it, you may begin to wonder, whether Barau is also working with invisible elements (laughter).
His clear understanding of Malam Aminu Kano’s philosophical approach of man as the centre of development, helps him much in critically investing in our people.
To borrow a leaf from Murtala Sule Garo, Deputy Governorship Candidate of APC during 2023 election, in Kano, when he recently called on Kano political leaders, especially former governors, to kindly put heads together to purposely move the state forward, I therefore call on our politicians in the state, to kindly follow suit, irrespective of political leaning.
Well, Senator Kawu Sumaila of Kano South and Hon Abubakar Bichi, representative of Bichi Federal Constituency, in the House of Representatives, have already gone far in this direction. Kudos to them!
Anwar, former Chief Press Secretary to the former Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje CON. And can be reached at fatimanbaba1@gmail.com