Governor Offers University Best Student And Microbiology Graduate Sponsored Hajj To Saudi Arabia
Governor Offers University Best Student And Microbiology Graduate Sponsored Hajj To Saudi Arabia
The best graduating student, Abdullah Sheriff, a Microbiology graduate with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.92, emerged as the overall best graduand for the 2023/2024 academic session.
The Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmad Aliyu, has stirred controversy after offering the best graduating student at this year’s Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) convocation a fully sponsored trip to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.
SaharaReporters understands that the announcement was made during the university’s convocation ceremony held on Saturday in Sokoto.
The best graduating student, Abdullah Sheriff, a Microbiology graduate with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.92, emerged as the overall best graduand for the 2023/2024 academic session.
Sheriff was among the 119 students who bagged first-class honours out of a total of 3,561 students conferred with degrees, according to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bashir Garba.
Governor Aliyu’s choice of a Hajj trip as the reward has, however, generated mixed reactions both within and outside the campus community.
On the Facebook page of Vanguard Press, a UDUS-based media platform, some users praised the gesture while others questioned its relevance to academic excellence.
Aesha Abdullahi Shateema wrote: “When he comes back from Hajj what will he do for him next? If he won’t support him after returning, then it would be better to just give him money to start a business.”
Another commentator, Imam Sarafadeen, added: “I’m yet to see the connection between Hajj and being a best graduating student. Scholars in Pragmatics will have to explain what it is that has been violated.”
While some critics raised concerns, others commended the governor’s decision. Hassan Usman wrote: “Kudos to Mr. Governor. I’m very happy that, our best graduating student is being offered a gift, this is highly commendable and fantastic. However, in my own view, this fully funded Hajj prize should be something else.”
Another respondent, Wahab Afolabi Deenlight, faulted the choice of reward, saying: “Loss priority. Give him a monetary and scholarship award and also add a job offer for him. If he comes back from Hajj, what will happen after that?”
The debate highlights a broader conversation around the kind of incentives that best reward academic excellence in Nigerian universities — whether symbolic religious gestures or practical opportunities for career and personal development.
