By Abubakar Imam
Many years ago, Ilorin Emirate, “the sanctuary of saints, scholars and soldiers”, was often erroneously dismissed by conceited critics as an abode of the unlettered. Though this description was absolutely unscientific and incorrect, it was, nevertheless, imposed on the community by those who ignorantly and arrogantly based their evaluation on erudition in western culture and literature alone. To them, the impressive records of the community in the field of Arabic and Islamic learning meant little or absolutely nothing.
However, one of those whose emergence as champions in the western oriented academia nullified the stereotypical categorisation was Prof. Saka Nuru, whose promotion to the exalted rank of Professor was unveiled around the time the prestigious University of Ilorin was founded. With him as the only Professor from Ilorin Emirate in 1976, the community is today the ancestral home of over 200 eminent Professors and thousands of other distinguished professionals who are scattered and doing fantastically across the globe.
No honour could, therefore, be too much for such a heroic figure in his hometown. This is particularly so as the Almighty Allah, in his infinite mercies, has kept him alive and sound to see his community blossoming as a great centre of learning, with knowledge production and diffusion in every field of human learning.
It is in the light of this that I wish to join the management and staff of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ilorin as it rolls out the drums to celebrate a worthy figure in the academic community and national spheres with the hosting of the Maiden Prof. Saka Nuru Public Lecture on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. The lecture, which is titled “Navigating the Nexus of Food Security, Safety, and Disease: A Holistic Sustainable Future and Economic Prosperity”, is scheduled to be delivered by Dr Hameed Nuru, who is one of the children of the honouree and a major player in food security matters at continental and global levels.
The news of the event was first brought to my attention by my beautiful sister and Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Nusirat Elelu. Dr Elelu, who is the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the programme, had invited me to play a key role at the event, which, I, however, humbly declined, because of the fact that I was not sure whether I would be in Ilorin by that date.
Having sought the understanding of the organisers with regards to my inability to attend, I still found myself playing one or two roles towards ensuring the success of the event from where I was. I, therefore, thank the organisers for the privilege.
In addition to the above, I felt that it was very important for yours sincerely to publish a piece on the honouree for the benefit of younger members of our community and those of elsewhere. This is because many members of the younger generations actually need to know about the academic pacesetter called Prof. Saka Nuru.
This piece is also informed by the fact that the honouree was also not only a schoolmate but also a friend of my late father, Mallam Jimoh Imam Pakata. He was the last friend my late father exchanged a visit with before his death on January 17, 2012.
Prof. Saka Nuru, a seasoned academic, outstanding administrator and reputable community leader, was born in the city of Ilorin on February 16, 1936. He is a member of the historic Onikoyi family whose ancestral home in Ilorin is located in the Oke-Ikoyi Quarters, Adeta area of the sacred city.
This great man is a man of history as far as Ilorin Emirate is concerned. He is one of the earliest University graduates produced by Ilorin Emirate. He is also the first person to emerge as a veterinary doctor from the community. This great son of Ilorin is also the first Ph.D. holder as well as the first University lecturer produced by Ilorin Emirate. He is also the first to become a Professor and the first to be appointed as a Deputy Vice Chancellor among the good people of Ilorin Emirate who are indigenes of Asa, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Ilorin West and Moro Local Government Areas of Kwara State.
Prof. Nuru, who was popularly known as Saka Adeta among his contemporaries across Ilorin during their early days, was trained at Pakata Elementary (now Pakata LGEA) School, Ilorin, from 1944 to 1948. He was also educated at the then Ilorin Middle School (now Government Secondary School), Ilorin, between 1949 and 1951. From 1951 to 1956, Prof. Nuru was trained at the famous Barewa College, Zaria, where he earned his West African School Certificate.
As soon as he successfully completed his secondary school education, this erudite gentleman proceeded to Bath Technical College, United Kingdom for his pre-degree programme, which he successfully finished in 1960. He eventually received his Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree from the prestigious Bristol University, United Kingdom in 1964. He also received his Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine from the University of California, Davis, USA, in 1972. He capped his academic credentials with a Ph.D. from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1974. He was also trained at Kansas State University, USA, in 1971 and the University of Manchester, United Kingdom in 1981, from where he earned an Inter-University Fellowship in Academic Administration.
Prof. Nuru, an expert in Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, started his exciting career in the public service of the defunct Northern Region immediately he returned home from Britain. He was the Provincial Veterinary Officer in Bauchi between 1965 and 1967. He had earlier served as the Provincial Veterinary Clinician in defunct Kano and Maiduguri Provinces from 1964 to 1965.
As a brilliant young man, Prof. Nuru left the field for the classroom in order to train more hands in the field of Veterinary Medicine. Between 1967 and 1970, he served as the Principal, Livestock Services Training Centre, Kaduna.
Prof. Nuru, who served as President of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association between 1975 and 1977, became a University teacher when he joined the services of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1972 as a Senior Lecturer. He was consequently promoted to the exalted rank of Professor in 1976 by the authorities of the institution following the satisfactory discharge of his core responsibilities of teaching, research and community services.
In addition to teaching, Prof. Nuru was also deeply involved in administrative activities within and outside the University. He was the pioneer Director of National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI), Shika, Zaria. He held the position for ten years in the course of which remarkable achievements were recorded particularly in the realm of dairy and livestock development. Under his leadership, NAPRI came out with Shika brown poultry species, developed artificial insemination, cattle fattening programme, slaughterhouse construction and management, range and pasture management with the introduction and cultivation of different livestock feeds and human capacity development.
Prof. Nuru, who can be aptly described as a Professor under whose watch several generations of Professors were produced, was also the Provost, Agricultural and Veterinary Medicine Complex, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, from 1976 to 1991. He combined the position with his service as the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University from 1988 to 1990, among others.
This former Chairman of the Nigerian Veterinary Public Health Association was the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, from 2018 to 2020. He had earlier served as the Chairman, Kwara State Government Visitation Panel on KWASU in 2016. He equally served as the Chairman, Presidential Visitation Panel to Federal University of Technology, Akure, in 2012. He was also a member of Accreditation Panels to various universities across Nigeria.
Apart from being a member of the Governing Council of the then Kwara State College of Technology (now Kwara State Polytechnic), Ilorin, many years ago, Prof. Nuru equally served on the boards of several companies and agencies such as Bauchi Meat Production Company and Niger River Basin Development Authority, Ilorin, where he was the Chairman. He was also a member of the Boards of Kaduna Textile Mill Limited, Kaduna and Arewa Hotels at various times.
A well published scholar, Prof. Nuru has no fewer than 105 fascinating publications in respected local and international intellectual outlets to his credit. Most of these intellectually inspiring and professionally stimulating contributions were singlehandedly authored by him. His biography titled “A Life That Inspires: A Biography of Saka Nuru” written by the duo of Mr Mohammed Abdullahi and Dr Muhammad Lawal Olohungbebe would soon be unveiled.
This unassuming veterinarian has also been featured in “Who is Who in Nigeria” published by Newswatch Publication in 1990 and “Who is Who in Commonwealth”, which was published in 1984. His profile and picture are also featured in “Ilorin Emirate’s Frontliners” authored by yours sincerely, which was published last year.
Prof. Nuru’s numerous contributions have been rewarded with several honours, awards, fellowships and traditional titles from all over Nigeria and beyond. He is the Bobagunwa of Ikoyi-Ile, Oyo State and Baraden Jamaa, Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State.
This great Nigerian, who even at 88 remains relentlessly untired, is married and blessed with distinguished children and outstanding grandchildren including the Guest Speaker at the forthcoming event as earlier mentioned; Mrs Rukiyat Aduke Odekunle, the Commissioner representing Kwara and Kogi States in the Federal Civil Service Commission and Mr Adam Nuru, the former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the First City Monument Bank, as well as the Honourable Commissioner for Finance, Kwara State, Mrs Hawwa Nuru, who is his daughter in-law, among others. They are all known to be doing fine.
My distinguished compatriots and friends of Ilorin, I don’t think any honour for this hitherto unsung hero would be more appreciated by him and his family than gracing the public lecture in our numbers. We need to celebrate this man and get Inspired while he is still alive. Let us troop out to honour him in order to stimulate more heroic contributions in our community.
Imam is National Secretary, Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union,
