Al-Istiqama University, Sumaila, Kano State, is set to hold its 2nd and 3rd combined convocation ceremony, during which the institution will graduate 1,104 students and confer honorary and posthumous doctorate degrees on distinguished Nigerians.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Abdulhadi Sale Kumurya, disclosed this while addressing journalists ahead of the combined convocation ceremony, describing the event as a significant milestone in the development of the institution.

Professor Kumurya said the ceremony would be particularly significant because it would be the first convocation he would preside over since becoming the second substantive Vice-Chancellor of Al-Istiqama University.

According to him, the convocation would also feature a pre-convocation lecture to be delivered by the Vice-President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, who is expected to grace the occasion as the guest lecturer.

The Vice-Chancellor said another major highlight of the ceremony would be the graduation of the university’s first-ever set of postgraduate students, describing their graduation as a historic moment in the academic development of the institution.

Professor Kumurya explained that three postgraduate students who had successfully completed their programmes would be awarded their respective higher degrees during the ceremony.

He said although the number of pioneer postgraduate graduands was small, their graduation represented the foundation upon which the university’s postgraduate academic legacy would be built.

The Vice-Chancellor further disclosed that the university would confer honorary doctorate degrees on three distinguished Nigerians in recognition of their contributions and achievements in their respective fields.

Professor Kumurya said Alhaji Abdulmumini Maishanu, popularly known as A.Y. Shafa, would be conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration, Honoris Causa, for his achievements and contributions in the business sector.

He added that Sheikh Malam Ibrahim Khalil would receive an Honorary Doctor of Divinity, Honoris Causa, in recognition of his contributions to religious scholarship and other areas of service to society.

According to Professor Kumurya, the late business magnate Alhaji (Dr.) Aminu Alhassan Dantata would also be honoured posthumously with a Doctor of Business Administration, Honoris Causa.

The Vice-Chancellor said the posthumous recognition of the late Dantata was part of the university’s decision to acknowledge distinguished Nigerians whose contributions had made a lasting impact on society.

Professor Kumurya also described the presentation of certificates to graduands during the convocation as another major departure from merely symbolic graduation ceremonies.

He said the graduands would not only be formally admitted to their respective degrees but would also receive their academic certificates during the ceremony, stressing that certificates were essential documents required by graduates for employment, further education and professional advancement.

The Vice-Chancellor disclosed that a total of 1,101 students would graduate with first degrees from 12 academic programmes spread across three faculties of the university.

According to him, the graduating class comprises 44 First Class graduates, 271 Second Class Upper Division graduates, 443 Second Class Lower Division graduates, 100 Third Class graduates and two graduates in the Pass category.

Professor Kumurya further stated that another 241 graduates from the Faculty of Health Sciences fell under the unclassified category, bringing the total number of first-degree graduands to 1,101.

He added that the three postgraduate graduands would bring the total number of students receiving degrees at the combined convocation to 1,104.

The Vice-Chancellor said all the 1,104 graduands had fulfilled the academic requirements prescribed by the university’s Senate and had consequently been found worthy of being admitted to their respective degrees.

Professor Kumurya said the university was proud of the achievement because the graduating students represented an addition to the human-resource base required for national, continental and global development.

He therefore appealed to journalists and other media organisations to publicise the convocation and its activities widely so that the achievements of Al-Istiqama University and its graduands could reach a wider audience.

The Vice-Chancellor also disclosed that the university had commenced the development of its medical education programme, noting that students had already been admitted to study Medicine and Surgery, with the pioneer MBBS students now in their second year.

Professor Kumurya said the admission of MBBS students was part of the institution’s broader effort to expand its academic programmes and contribute to the training of professionals needed in the health sector.

He further stated that the university had also commenced admitting students into its doctorate programmes, indicating that the institution was gradually expanding its postgraduate education and research capacity.

The Vice-Chancellor described the combined convocation as an important chapter in the history of Al-Istiqama University, particularly because it would showcase the institution’s progress in undergraduate, postgraduate and professional education.

Professor Kumurya said the management of the university remained committed to producing graduates who would contribute meaningfully to the development of Nigeria and the wider world.

He expressed appreciation to journalists for their continued partnership with the institution and urged them to help project the achievements of the university and its graduates to the public.

Professor Kumurya concluded by thanking members of the press for attending the briefing and prayed for the continued progress of the university, its students and staff.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Ukrainian and Polish governments have accused Russia of launching drone strikes on the locomotive of a passenger train carrying 206 people headed for Warsaw on Sunday morning.

Ukraine said it forewarned the railway operators of likely drone strikes, adding that no one was hurt.

“The monitoring team gave the train crew advanced warning, and thanks to that, no one was injured,” Ukrainian railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, wrote in social media.

Ukrzaliznytsia said that a diplomatic train conveying VIPs such as a former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson; ex-CIA chief, David Petraeus, passed through the Yagodyn station shortly before the drone strike.

“Shortly before the locomotive was hit at the Ukrainian-Polish border, a diplomatic train was at Yagodyn station,” Ukrzaliznytsia said. “There were, among others, security advisers from several EU member states and former European leaders on board, including former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In another train that was at Yagodyn station at the very moment of the attack was former CIA Director David Petraeus.”

The Warsaw-bound train was carrying 206 people, none of whom were Polish citizens.

Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski described the incident as an escalation.

“This is an escalation, this is another great challenge for Ukraine and for the hypothetical future victims of Russian aggression and this means that we should double our efforts to support victims of aggression,” Mr Sikorski said at a press briefing.

The train was transporting 206 individuals and there was no Polish citizen among

“The train is carrying 206 people. There are no Polish citizens among the passengers,” the operator said online. “After completing customs clearance, it will continue its journey towards Warsaw.”

The former UK leader advocated Russia’s frozen funds in Belgium to be transferred to Ukraine.

“I don’t know what warped logic drove Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive on the Polish border this morning,” Mr Johnson said. “When are we going to give them the air defences they need? Why won’t we unfreeze Putin’s cash and give it to Ukraine? There is more than €140 billion ($163 billion) in a Belgian bank account — and about £10 billion (€11.7 billion or 13.5 billion) in London.”

The Fruits Sellers Association, Kano State Chapter, has been advised to develop a strategic plan within a specific timeframe to modernize its business operations.

The Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission, KANSIEC, Professor Sani Lawal Malumfashi, gave the advice during a courtesy visit by members of the association to his office.

Professor Malumfashi stated that the fruit business anywhere in the world serves customers from all backgrounds, both rich and poor, due to the importance of fruits in food consumption.

He maintained that the association should seek recognition across the three tiers of government in order to benefit from government policies and programmes.

The KANSIEC Chairman added that the present administration under the Executive Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, is transforming Kano into a modern metropolitan city with many parks. He said fruit sellers should secure designated spaces around the corners of flyovers across the city.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Fruits Sellers Association of Nigeria, Kano State Chapter, Alhaji Safiyanu Abdullahi, said they visited KANSIEC to seek guidance on how to conduct free, fair, and peaceful elections within the association.

Bashir Habib Yahya
Media Aide to the KANSIEC Chairman
Date: 11/09/2026