Sultan of Sokoto attends University of Ibadan Alumni Association Awards ceremony

*Reiterate commitment to fostering, strengthening unity in Nigeria despite differences

By KEMI KASUMU and OUR REPORTER, Abuja

“This Sultan of Sokoto has lowered his ego even as he makes contributions to peace, unity and stability of Nigeria and West Africa that no religious or tribal leader of any background in Nigeria can boldly claim to match,” one of participants interviewed after the event told our reporter in Abuja.

Exactly 33 days after performing his duty as the able Chancellor of the premier and mother of all Nigeria’s universities, the University of Ibadan, His Eminence Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, HFNIM, on Wednesday December 3, 2025, attended the Excellence and Awards Ceremony of the University’s Alumni Association, where he was invited to preside.

In his speech during the event, the Sultan, only recently, was decorated as the first man ever to be so honoured as Honourary Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM-Chartered), had welcomed all participants and congratulated the awardees “for being found worthy of recognition by Alumni of the best University in Nigeria.”

He said as Chancellor of the institution, he assured the Association leaders who invited that he would attend the occasion despite his tight schedules.

He enjoined the Alumni to continue to cement the cord of relationships among them and the University of Ibadan and keep faith with values of the premier and number one university in number country in Africa.

The Sultan emphasised the need to foster and strengthen unity in Nigeria despite the diversity in religion, tribe and culture.

He stated that his palace is just three minutes drive to the residence of Arch Bishop Matthew Kukah, who was also present at the occasion, and that “the Bishop of Catholic Church Sokoto Diocese has access to the palace like any other well meaning persons.”

He said, “To further show you how close we are working, recently I took part in the commissioning of an ICT training center built by Afe Babalola in his compound together with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.”

The Sultan congratulated the Alumni leaders in their successful event and thanked them for inviting him to the occasion.

The awards recipients included Worthy Ambassadors – three, Most Distinguished Nigerians – five, Life Time Achievement – 11, Meritorious Service – one, Alumnus of the Year and Corporate Award of Excellence to Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Arise Television.

Among the recipients were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, Professor Iya Abubakar, and Arch Bishop Matthew Kukah.

The DEFENDER Newspaper reports that, on Thursday, 24 hours after the event held at the Army Officers’ Mess, Asokoro, Abuja, talks at several corners not only favour the development but also noted it underscores the popularity of the multifaceted leader whose respect locally, regionally, continentally and globally is earned and not commanded.

“As a matter of fact, let me make it clear to you that, despite being a retired General of world’s largest country’s Army, despite being a world citizen among which he is Co-President World’s Religions for Peace headquartered in the New York, continuously rated annually around number 15 of first 50 most influential Muslims in the world and above all one of four most influential monarch in Africa aside being number one in Nigeria, this Sultan of Sokoto has lowered his ego even as he makes contributions to peace, unity and stability of Nigeria and West Africa that no religious or tribal leader of any background in Nigeria can boldly claim to match,” one of participants interviewed after the event told our reporter in Abuja.

The respondent, whose submission agreed with others asked to react, added that, “The problem with Nigerians especially some of us from the South is that we don’t appreciate good leaders until have gone but, and I have heard over a thousand Nigerians who share my view of the Sultan, I refuse to join the evil group of sentiment-stricken Nigerians and will therefore never stop to let Nigerians and the world know and see what we have but are failing daily to appreciate in our country.

“It is on this note that I salute the University of Ibadan Alumni Association for deeming it fit that Chancellor of their alma mater, Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar, was invited and still made to preside over their excellence and awards ceremony in far away Abuja,” he said.