By Sahel Reporters – Yola
A lecturer at the Federal College of Education (FCE), Yola, Dr. Adamu Babikkwai, has advocated for the integration of entrepreneurship and skills acquisition into school curricula.
He made this assertion while speaking at the 2025 Speech and Prize Giving Day ceremony of Usman Bin Fodio Academy, Yolde Pate, in Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Dr. Babikkwai, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the event, noted that equipping students with practical life skills from an early stage would promote self-reliance and productivity in the future.
He emphasized the importance of parental support for children’s career choices rather than imposing careers that do not align with the children’s interests.
Represented by Dr. Aliyu Buba Mohammed, Babikkwai commended the staff and management of the academy for their commitment to imparting both Islamic and Western education to pupils.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Professor Bello Idi, called for urgent efforts to expand the academy, lamenting that the school has experienced minimal infrastructural growth since its establishment two decades ago.
Professor Idi urged stakeholders, especially members of the Centre for Islamic Thought (CIT), the founding body of the academy, to return to the drawing board and devise new strategies for the school’s development.
He noted that although the academy has served the community for 20 years and now enrolls over 120 pupils, it still lacks critical infrastructure, including additional classrooms and a mosque.
He recounted the academy’s humble beginnings in 2005 as a purely Islamic institution, which has now evolved into a formal school integrating both Islamic and Western curricula.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Occasion, Ustaz Abubakar Hamma’adama, paid glowing tribute to CIT’s founding members, describing their unwavering efforts as the foundation of the school’s continued existence.
He called for unity among stakeholders and emphasized the importance of mutual respect and shared responsibility in advancing the academy’s mission.
“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 of parents in shaping the future of their children, warning that children deprived of proper guidance and education may become societal threats.
In his vote of thanks, the Amir of CIT Yola and Executive Director of the Dadah Foundation for Educational Empowerment (DAFEE), Usman Ahmed Dadah, praised all contributors to the sustainability of the academy.
He acknowledged the dedication of CIT members, teachers, local security personnel, and religious and traditional leaders.
Dadah also stressed the importance of reviving the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and pledged support for the resuscitation of the female Islamic class, which was one of the school’s founding pillars.
The event featured 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 at Modibbo Adama University.
The ceremony 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.
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