By Dr Murjanatu M. Abba
The Africa Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology (ACENTDFB) at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has brokered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ABU and Université André Salifou (UAS), Zinder, Niger Republic, to deepen collaboration in education, research, innovation and community engagement.
The MoU was signed on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at ABU’s Zaria campus by the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Professor Adamu Ahmed, and the Vice-Rector of Université André Salifou, Associate Professor Hassan Moussa Diangole, during a three-day visit to ABU by a UAS delegation.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Professor Ahmed welcomed the partnership and reaffirmed ABU’s commitment to it, saying the collaboration would benefit the younger institution in several areas, particularly staff training. He added that ABU was ready to support the partnership, and that the collaboration would strengthen the broader relationship between Nigeria and Niger, two countries he described as mutual friends.
The Centre Leader of ACENTDFB, Professor Y.K.E. Ibrahim, who has served as the link between the two institutions, said the engagement began mainly around research and joint grant applications before evolving into what he called one of the fastest collaborations to mature into a full institutional partnership.
Dr Mahaman Moustapha Lamine, Adviser to the Director of Université André Salifou and the institution’s representative at the ceremony, thanked ABU’s management and staff for the delegation’s warm reception and for the opportunity to formalise the partnership. He described ABU as one of the most important universities in Africa and said the collaboration would strengthen UAS in several ways.
Dr Lamine said the partnership would allow the younger university to draw on ABU’s experience, particularly in university management, and would open up collaboration among staff, students, lecturers and researchers at both institutions. He added that it would also give UAS access to ABU’s facilities and technological platforms to enhance its research.
“In terms of facilities, we saw a lot of opportunities for us here, especially in the area of technology, because we are young. We saw many important platforms here in ABU Zaria, which we can use as collaborators to perform our research,” he said.
Earlier in the visit, Professor Ibrahim and his team received the UAS delegation at the ACENTDFB centre, where the visitors toured the facility and several other departments of Ahmadu Bello University as part of their three-day programme. The delegation also met Nigerien students studying at ABU, an interaction that highlighted the longstanding ties between Nigeria and Niger. During the exchange, the UAS representatives learned about the students’ areas of specialisation and their plans to contribute to Niger’s development.
The partnership is expected to give both institutions a broader platform to share knowledge, expertise, research opportunities and facilities, while strengthening academic and institutional ties between Nigeria and Niger.
The signing ceremony was attended by senior ABU management alongside the ACENTDFB and UAS teams, including the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Professor Bello Sabo; the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Raymond Bako; the Registrar, Malam Rabiu Samaila; the Special Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Ibrahim Sani Kaita; the #ACENTDFB Centre Leader, Professor Y.K.E. Ibrahim; and the Deputy Centre Leader, Professor Mohammed Mamman, among others.
