A valedictory session was held in Mr Pate's honour at the north-eastern university
Media scholar Umaru Pate on Tuesday concluded his five-year tenure as Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Kashere (FUK), Gombe State, saying he is satisfied with the transformation he achieved through massive infrastructural development and academic expansion.
The professor of media and society, and former broadcast journalist, spoke on Tuesday during a valedictory session held in his honour at the north-eastern university.
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Mr Pate, who is serving as the President of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters (SNB), is leaving behind a legacy of transformative leadership, academic excellence, and infrastructural development that has reshaped the institution.
He was the university's third vice chancellor, following its establishment in 2010 by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration. The institution commenced academic activities in the 2011/2012 session with 259 students, 115 teaching staff, and 111 support staff.
While presenting a comprehensive account of his stewardship, the don highlighted key milestones recorded during his tenure, including infrastructural development, academic growth, improved staff welfare, and the successful resolution of lingering court cases involving the university.
Speaking at the event, the Pro-Chancellor, William Olu-Aderounmu, said they were happy to be celebrating an iconic leader whose tenure left an indelible mark on the university.
"Professor Pate is one of the best professors this country has ever produced. I have never seen the likes of Pate. He is committed and passionate about the development of education.
"He is a phenomenon, and I have the highest respect for him. He has successfully executed so many projects. He has transformed this university from nothing to one of the best in the country," Mr Olu-Aderounmu said.
The university's registrar, Nasir Abdullahi, spoke on behalf of the university management, thanking the outgoing vice chancellor. He said Mr Pate's tenure has been marked by purposeful leadership, academic transformation, and improving students' welfare.
Earlier in his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, S. L Kela, a professor, spoke about academic reforms brought by Mr Pate, noting that he established new programmes, extended faculties, and ensured all programmes were fully accredited.
"I feel fulfilled, I have contributed, and I have done my best. We did what we could," Mr Pate remarked during his valedictory speech.
Massive expansion and development
Under his stewardship, the university experienced rapid growth and became recognised as one of Nigeria's fastest-growing universities. The institution now covers 277.23 hectares of land with seven faculties, two schools, one institute, one centre, one college, and 44 academic departments.
Mr Pate's administration established 17 new academic programmes, including PhD Mass Communication, M.Sc. Mass Communication, PGD Mass Communication, B.Sc. Entrepreneurship Studies, B.Sc. International Relations, MBBS Medicine and Surgery, B.Sc. Human Anatomy, B.Sc. Human Physiology, B.Sc. Pharmacology, B.DS. Dental Surgery, B.N.Sc. Nursing Science, and B.OT. Occupational Therapy.
The university now offers 56 undergraduate programmes and 49 postgraduate programmes.
In the last five years, student enrollment increased from 8,311 to 17,936, while student output increased from 892 to 3,804.
The current student population stands at 10,360 male undergraduate students, 5,995 female undergraduate students, 1,308 postgraduate students, and 273 part-time undergraduate students.
The institution now has 816 teaching staff, 901 senior non-teaching staff, and 980 junior staff.
Infrastructure and financial investments
Mr Pate's key achievements included the construction of 22 new projects worth over N16 billion, the establishment of the Jibril Aminu College of Medical Sciences (JACOMS), and the commencement of part-time degree programmes in 15 academic areas.
The administration completed the Chancellery Building in 2021, furnished most classrooms on campus, procured office equipment for new and existing departments, and renovated and upgraded the Broadcasting Complex.
The university also achieved full accreditation in 36 academic programmes and seven interim statuses in 2023, including ICAN full accreditation of the accounting programme.
Eight initial programmes, including B.Sc. Biology, B.Sc. Computer Science, B.Sc. Mathematics, B.Sc. Physics, B.Sc. Economics and Development Studies, B.A. English, B.Sc. Political Science, and B.Sc. Sociology was among those accredited.
Research and academic partnerships
The administration secured research grants, including several National Research Fund (NRF) and Institution-Based Research (IBR) grants from TETFund Nigeria, grant initiatives from African Population and Health Research Centres, and Catalyse Impact Initiatives funding for Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) Certification.
Under Mr Pate, the university also established collaborations and linkages with the Global Council on Anthropological Linguistics at the University of London, African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Arabic Language Village in Ngala, Institut Agama Negeri Kudus (IAIN KUDUS) in Central Java, Indonesia, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Universitas Pancasila in Indonesia, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), and Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
Ten manuscripts were developed and converted into books sponsored by TETFund Nigeria. The library holdings increased by 5,675, from 17,387 to 23,062.
The administration also established an Intellectual Property Technology Transfer Office (IPTTO) at FUK and hosted seven inaugural lectures and public lectures delivered by prominent Nigerians, including A. I Njodi, former INEC chairman Attahiru Jega, former Tetfund Executive Secretary Suleiman Bogoro, and A.A. Anas.
Conference hosting and academic activities
The university hosted several national conferences during Mr Pate's tenure, including the National Conference on the Prophetic Model of Character themed "Prophetic Style of Leadership for Sustainable Human Development" organised by the Departments of Arabic and Islamic Studies in collaboration with NUSRET Educational and Cultural Co. Limited, Nigeria, in January 2026.
Other conferences included the 5th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Teacher Education Programme for Sustainable National Development in November 2025, the 8th Annual Conference of Agricultural Education Teachers Association of Nigeria (AETAN) in June 2025, the 4th National Conference on Innovation and Integration for Future Development of Teacher Education in Nigeria in November 2024, the 36th CODHESNU Scientific Conference/Annual General Meeting in October 2024, and the First North East Regional Accounting Conference in collaboration with the Office of the Accountant General, Gombe State, in May 2024.
Student welfare and campus life
The administration increased the number of student hostels on campus, constituted the Students' Representative Council (SRC), upgraded sporting facilities on campus, and ensured participation in NUGA Games. An inter-faculty games competition, the Pate's Cup, was also introduced during the past five years.
Other welfare improvements included improved power and borehole water supply to hostels, negotiated off-campus rental fees, the establishment of a campus mini market, and the introduction of a cultural week for student groups. The administration also established an indigent student scholarship scheme.
ICT and digital transformation
The university achieved significant digital transformation through the solarisation of the ICT Centre with 50KVA power backup using solar panels and inverters, creation of three new computer labs at the ICT Centre and the Mass Communication Computer Lab, and donation of 100 computer tablets for paperless university business.
The administration established an ICDL Centre at FUK, conducted train-the-trainer workshops for ICDL staff, developed a CBT App for GST Exams, and commenced CBT exams at FUK. A Human Resource (HR) appraisal system was introduced, the OER was redesigned to reposition research, and internet service coverage was extended to the new site.
Other ICT achievements included a postgraduate student record management system, the digitalisation of library resources, the SAFApply unified admissions application process for all programmes, the restoration of internet access to a higher capacity of 155 Mbps, and the establishment of the Huawei ICT Academy for ICT certification.
Community relations and revenue generation
Mr Pate's administration established a Town and Gown Relationship Committee, established a joint university-community security committee, fostered a relationship between university management and landlords, maintained a more cordial relationship with host communities, and ensured maximum cooperation with the state government.
Revenue mobilisation initiatives brought by the media scholar included the establishment of a guest house in Abuja, the introduction of part-time degree programmes, new postgraduate programmes, IJMB programmes, CBT Centre for exams and a JAMB partnership. It also included strengthening consultancy services and ventures, and ground-rate collection from the campus mini-mart.
A total of 2,900 staff members have been promoted from 2021 to date, Mr Pate said, adding that the university has commenced the process of establishing a Faculty of Computing and a Faculty of Communication.
In addition, the administration implemented monitoring of lectures and examinations to check absenteeism, ensured the successful conduct of uninterrupted semester examinations, and enforced punctuality at work for both teaching and non-teaching staff.
"A zero-tolerance policy to examination misconduct was maintained, with dismissal and expulsion of staff and students found wanting in disciplinary cases," he said.
The incoming Vice Chancellor, Muhammad Ja'afaru, said the new administration will insist on academic integrity and ensuring the right thing is done.
Mr Ja'afaru, a professor, pledged that all ongoing projects will be completed and hailed Mr Pate for his remarkable achievements over the past five years.
About Umaru Pate
Mr Pate, a former head of the media studies department at his alma mater, the University of Maiduguri, was also educated at the School of Communications of the University of Ghana at Legon, where he earned a master's degree in philosophy in communications studies.
Born on 4 January 1964 in Song, Adamawa State, Mr Pate had his early secondary school education at Government College Maiduguri and advanced-level studies at the College of Preliminary Studies in Yola.
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After a stint as head of department at the University of Maiduguri, he moved to Bayero University, Kano, where he first assumed the role of dean of the communication school. He transformed the programme and ensured it gained national recognition. He was later made the pioneer Dean of the postgraduate school at Bayero University, Kano.
Mr Pate also served as President of the Association of Communication Scholars and Practitioners of Nigeria (ACSPN) and is a senior councillor and ranking kingmaker in the Adamawa Emirate Council, where he is the Kaigamma (chief of army staff). He has been a lifetime judge of the Wole Soyinka Investigative Journalism Prize and chairs the advisory board of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
Mr Pate also remains an editorial advisor to more than ten communication journals in and out of Nigeria and serves as an external examiner to over 15 universities in Nigeria and abroad. Some of the universities include Lagos, Ibadan, Nsukka, Covenant, Jos, Babcock, Makurdi, ABU, Awka, Abuja, Leicester (UK), Freetown (Sierra Leone), and Tehran (Iran).
He has served as a consultant to bilateral and multilateral agencies including United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), British Department of International Development (DFID), National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Ford Foundation, Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC), Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), Nigeria Stability Response Project (NSRP), Friedrich Ebert Foundation of Germany, Panos Foundation of Washington, Trust Newspapers, INEC, NTA, FRCN, National Population Commission, National Broadcasting Commission, and several state governments. He has served the UN system in Afghanistan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon.
Before his academic roles, Mr Pate worked with the news departments at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) in Kaduna and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Yola from 1981 to 1987. He still features and contributes regularly on national and international media, mostly focusing on current affairs, and chairs the Board of Directors of Pulaaku FM Radio in Yola.
When the federal government set up a committee on the formulation of the National Community Radio Policy under the late Alfred Opubor during the Obasanjo administration, Mr Pate had a seat at the table and later served as a member of the committee that established and co-piloted the Jigawa State Television in Dutse. He is also a member of the Policy and Strategy Committee of the Nigerian Institutes of Public Relations.
