They say a watched pot never boils, but in the case of the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA), my eyes have witnessed a boiling cauldron of transformation under the astute leadership of Prof. Armaya’u Hamisu Bichi.
As an alumnus, with feet firmly rooted in the soil of FUDMA’s early days and eyes cast toward its horizon, I can beat my chest and say without fear of contradiction: the past five years have been nothing short of a renaissance.
When Prof. Bichi took the reins, FUDMA was a fledgling bird with clipped wings — three faculties, 20 programmes, and just a handful accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC). It was, if you like, a house built on sand, yearning for a craftsman to lay a firm foundation. And lay it he did.
With the foresight of a seasoned sailor and the grit of a blacksmith, the Vice-Chancellor plunged into the deep waters, seeking NUC’s blessing for a resource assessment. The result? A clean sweep — all 17 additional programmes given the green light. Like a man who knows that success is a ladder no one climbs with hands in pockets, he pressed further, securing approval for a School of Postgraduate Studies. And when the NUC came knocking again, our fledgling postgraduate programmes stood tall like a colossus — fully accredited and ready to churn out tomorrow’s giants.
In a world where many rest after winning a battle, Prof. Bichi sharpened his sword for greater wars. He pushed for an increased intake, catapulting student capacity from a meagre 500 to a bustling 1,800. Today, as I pen this piece, FUDMA boasts over 40,000 students — a testament that the small acorn has indeed become a mighty oak.
The university’s map, once dotted with only three faculties, now sprawls across 14 vibrant faculties, including the Faculties of Health Sciences, Technology, and Nursing Sciences. The School of Postgraduate Studies has evolved into a College, and the Continuing Education Centre has exploded from a humble 100 students to over 7,000, with satellite campuses dotting Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, and Abuja like stars in the northern sky.
On the infrastructure front, Prof. Bichi did not just patch old walls; he built castles. From the gleaming College of Medical and Health Sciences to the robust Faculties of Law, Engineering, Renewable Natural Resources, and Agriculture, FUDMA’s skyline has changed dramatically. Add to that the construction of modern lecture theatres, sprawling classrooms, and near-completed student hostels — and you’ll understand why today’s FUDMA is a city of learning, not a town.
Beyond bricks and mortar, Prof. Bichi waged a quiet revolution among staff. With backlogs in promotions cleared within his first three months in office, and motivation running through the veins of the workforce like fresh blood, the university turned a corner. Promotions were no longer a game of thrones but a reward for merit. Eighty percent of professors in today’s FUDMA owe their ascendancy to his golden era.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The Vice-Chancellor inherited a university fractured along fault lines of mistrust and court cases. Like a master negotiator, he called aggrieved parties to the table, not the courtroom, and one by one, sorted out 95% of all disputes. Where there was division, he sowed unity; where there was bitterness, he poured balm.
Financially, Prof. Bichi wore his thinking cap tightly. He turned the Entrepreneurship Development Centre into a budding business hub, initiated sachet water production, expanded university farms, and milked student registrations and professional programmes into streams of internally generated revenue. Under his stewardship, FUDMA didn’t just wait cap-in-hand for TETFund interventions — it earned its keep.
Of course, no rose comes without thorns. Insecurity gnawed at the university’s peace like a rat on a sack of grain. Staff and students were kidnapped, hearts were broken, and progress was slowed. But through collaboration with security agencies and unrelenting prayers, FUDMA managed to hold its ground.
Restructuring was another masterstroke. Unlike many who see leadership as barking orders, Prof. Bichi listened — and when his management team outvoted him, he took it like a statesman. Departments were reshaped, units realigned, and decisions born out of collective wisdom, not autocratic decrees.
Today, FUDMA stands taller, stronger, and more respected — a phoenix risen from the ashes of obscurity to the heights of acclaim. It is no exaggeration to say that in the hall of Nigeria’s fastest-growing universities, FUDMA now sits proudly, its achievements glowing like a beacon.
As an alumnus, my heart swells with pride. Watching Prof. Armaya’u Hamisu Bichi transform FUDMA has been like watching an artist breathe life into a blank canvas. And when history pens its verdict, it will write in golden ink that in those five years, a man came, saw, and did not just conquer — he transformed.
Indeed, the seeds he planted are now bearing fruits sweeter than honey, and the tree he nurtured now provides shade for generations to come.
Long live FUDMA! Long live Prof. Bichi’s legacy!
Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu
A Journalist Writes from Katsina