On Saturday, my Alma Mata celebrated this year’s Annual Dialogue and Honours Awards. This year’s theme, “Nigeria’s March to Renaissance: Lessons from the Life of General Yakubu Gowon”, was well chosen as the entire nation has much to learn from his exemplary life and leadership. There is no surprise that he is a product of such an illustrious school that has produced so many great leaders for our country. The school has a long history starting in 1922 with the establishment of Katsina Training College. Since that time, the college has produced my generations of leaders for Nigeria. Our association, Barewa Old Boys Association (BOBA), is for all students that have attended iterations of the college – Katsina Training College, Katsina Higher College, Kaduna College, Zaria Secondary School and Government College, Zaria. The school was renamed Barewa College in 1972.
Barewa College has been able to maintain a clear and impressive school tradition and culture, maintained in the various phases of the school’s existence. No doubt, the fact that BOBA has been in existence and active since 1939 is part of the explanation of this capacity to maintain this culture of excellence over the years.
Barewa College prides itself in a number of men who are achievers in their respective fields, men who gave invaluable and selfless services to the nation, especially at its most desperate moments of need. Barewa College produced the first Premier of Northern Nigeria (B87) Sir Ahmadu Bello, the first Prime Minister of Nigeria (145) Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. The only two indigenous Governors of Northern Nigeria (B73) Sir Kashim Ibrahim and (B669) General Hassan Usman Katsina. The college also produced five heads of state and presidents of Nigeria, (B783) General Yakubu Gowon, (B941) General Murtala Mohammed, (B394) Alhaji Shehu Shagari (B394) and Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (B2465). It also produced a Sultan of Sokoto (B2612) Sultan Muhammad Saad 11 and many emirs and chiefs.
The chairman of the occasion was Professor Iya Abubakar, former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University and brilliant mathematician who became a professor at the tender age of 28. He is today 92 years old and blessed with God’s grace, still had the ability to effectively steer the activities of the day. The dialogue was set in motion by another former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Professor Ango Abdullahi, who spoke eloquently about the character, skills and commitment of General Gowon, as his senior in the college, and later as head of state and elder statesman.
Yours truly moderated the debate on “Nigeria’s March to Renaissance: Lessons from the Life of General Yakubu Gowon”, with an excellent panel composed of the theologian, Rev (Prof.) Yusuf Obaje, the activist Dr Usman Bugaje and Lt. Gen. Abdulrahaman Dambazau, former Chief of Army Staff and Minister of Interior. They all drew attention to the competence, humility and sense of public service of the earlier generations of leaders and said renaissance is possible only if we can return to that type of leadership. Current leaders are too corrupt and self-centred to move the country forward.
The centre of focus for the entire event was General Yakubu Gowon, who had celebrated his 90th birthday on Saturday, October 19, 2024. This milestone birthday was marked with tributes and celebrations from virtually all Nigerian leaders and citizens indicating the deep respect and admiration for him. Gowon has always been a model to study and learn from because of his great skill set in good and selfless governance. While at Barewa College, Gen. Gowon was a remarkable athlete who participated in different sporting activities including pole vault, long distance running and was the captain of the boxing team. He was also the goalkeeper of the school’s football team.
The general joined the Nigerian Army in 1954 and received his commission as a second lieutenant on his 21st Birthday – 19th of October 1955). He attended the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, United Kingdom (1955–56), Staff College, Camberley, United Kingdom (1962) as well as the Joint Staff College, Latimer, 1965. He was part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in the Congo in 1960–61 and in 1963.
Gen. Gowon became Nigeria’s youngest military Chief of Staff at the age of 31 to the Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi-led Military Administration. He was a few months later to become Nigeria’s youngest Head of State in circumstances he never envisaged. General Gowon left a monumental governance legacy that has laid the foundation for modern Nigeria.
The creation of 12 states by General Yakubu Gowon in 1967 marked a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s history, signalling the beginning of a unified nation. By dividing the four regions into smaller, more manageable units, Gowon set the stage for the promotion of national integration and reduction of ethno-regional tensions. This bold move helped bridge the gap between Nigeria’s diverse backgrounds, fostering a sense of shared identity and citizenship. This restructuring laid the groundwork for a more inclusive and representative government.
I believe that Gowon’s state creation exercise had far-reaching consequences, transforming Nigeria’s political landscape and paving the way for future development. By empowering minority groups and reducing regional dominance by hegemons, Gowon’s reforms promoted national unity and stability. The new states enabled more effective governance, improved resource allocation, and enhanced representation for marginalised communities.
Additionally, this decentralisation helped to dilute the tensions that had fuelled the civil war, allowing Nigeria to begin rebuilding and healing. As Nigeria continued to evolve, Gowon’s vision for a unified nation remained a guiding principle, shaping the country’s progress and informing subsequent state creation exercises that have brought the total number of states to 36 plus FCT today. Gowon’s legacy in this regard remains a cornerstone of Nigeria’s federalism.
The restructuring of Nigerian federalism by Gen. Gowon had far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s political landscape. The creation of new states helped to distribute power more evenly, giving voice to previously marginalised communities. This, in turn, contributed to the country’s reconciliation efforts after the civil war.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by his Minister of Education, addressed the event, declaring that he got elected on the basis of a clear policy framework, the Renewed Hope Agenda:
“In this framework, education has the status of our compass with which we shall continue to navigate and smoothen our hitherto tortuous development path to have a Nigeria where every citizen has unhindered opportunity to realise his or her life ambition and lead a meaningful life that is useful to himself, immediate community, the country and the global community. As the light of the nation, my administration is working very hard to sharpen Nigeria’s focus on ensuring an abundance of human and material resources for the education sector that would invariably lead to improved educational outcomes in Nigeria.”
He announced that the Ministry of Education has produced a roadmap which sets out a clear pathway for revamping our educational system to ensure equitable access to quality education, improved learning outcomes and a strengthened system; concluding that: “We can no longer accept exceptional stories of excellence in various educational pursuits by Nigerians outside the country without seeing more of same within our shores.”
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