The Bayero University Kano (BUK) is a university situated in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. It was founded in 1975, when it was renamed from Bayero University College and upgraded from university college to university. It is the first university in Kano State, North-western Nigeria.
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History
Bayero University initially was Ahmadu Bello College. The college was named after the Premier of Northern Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello. It was founded in January 1960 by the Northern Nigeria Ministry of Education headed by Isa Kaita to prepare senior secondary certificate holders for General Certificate of Education (G.C.E.) and A-level in Arabic, Hausa, Islamic History, Islamic studies and English Literature. Upon the establishment of Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Kaduna State, Ahmadu Bello College was renamed to Abdullahi Bayero College, after Abdullahi Bayero, Emir of Kano and soon thereafter it became a faculty, admitting its first set of ten undergraduate students for a B.A. degree programme of Ahmadu Bello University. This first set graduated in 1966 but it continued as a faculty of ABU until 1980.
Initially located on the grounds of the School of Arabic Studies near the palace of the Emir, the college moved to a location at the old Kano Airport Hotel, where it remained until March 1968, when it moved to Western Kano to make way for a military hospital (the Nigerian Civil War having started the previous year). The first students began their studies in February 1964, and they graduated in July 1966.
In 1975, the college became a university college, and was renamed Bayero University College, with Mahmud Tukur as principal. In 1977, it was given university status as Bayero University, with Tukur as vice-chancellor. In 1980, the university ceased functioning as a faculty of Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria.
Ranking
Bayero University Kano was ranked as number 1016 in the world universities ranking in 2023.[1]
Academic sections
The academic sections in Bayero University consist of colleges, faculties, centres, institutes and schools.
College of health science
The colleges in the university are:
College of Health Science The college of Health Sciences is made up of the following faculties: Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Clinical Sciences and Faculty of Dentistry.
Colleges of Natural and Pharmaceutical Sciences The College of Natural and Pharmaceutical Sciences is made up of the following faculties: Faculty of Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Faculty of Physical Sciences.
The remaining faculties in Bayero University are:
Arts and Islamic Studies
Agricultural Sciences
Computer Science and Information Technology
Communication
Engineering
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Education
Law
Management Sciences
Social Sciences
Veterinary Medicine
The research centres include: Centre for Advanced Medical Research, Centre for Infectious Diseases, African Centre for Excellence in Population Health and Policy, Centre for Gender Studies, Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Inter-faith Dialogue, Centre for Dryland Agriculture, Centre for Biotechnology Research, Centre for Renewable Energy and Centre for Research in Nigerian Languages, Translation and Folklore Centre for Information Technology, among others. The university also houses the International Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIIBF), the only one of its kind in the country.
Location
The main campus of the university is located approximately 12.8 kilometers (roughly 8 miles) from the city along the Kano-Gwarzo Road i.e. along Janguza road. There is another site (Old Campus) at BUK Road.
Library
The university Library was established in 1964 in order to support the university in achieving its goals of teaching, learning and research. The library acquires, processes, preserves, organises and disseminates information resources in printed and electronic format. It is a modern Library with modern technology that enables easy access to information resources by staff and students. The Library strives to meet the information need of both staff, students and researchers by designing selective dissemination of information in forms of alerts services. It also subscribes to electronics databases of international standards which give s users access to information resources irrespective of location, time and place.
Branch Libraries
Bayero University library is divided into nine branch libraries that are located in different campuses of the university as follows:
The university's main campus is home to the Main Library, which also serves as the headquarters. The Main Library has two Phases - The Main Phase and the subsequent Phase.
The Library's Stages oblige the accompanying Units and Areas:
List of leaders
SAS Principal (and director of college section)
Aliyu Abubakar Dr. Aliyu Abubakar was born in Nafada in the present Gombe State in the year 1909. He attended University of London, where he studied a bachelor of art degree in English language. After serving as a principal at the school of Arabic studies Kano, he also served as the first commissioner of Education in Bauchi State after its creation in 1976. He died in November 1987.
Provost of Abdullahi Bayero College
Abdalla Eltayeb (1964–1966)
Hamidu Alkali (September 1966 – November 1969)
Shehu Galadanci (1969–1975)
Principal of Bayero University College
Mahmud Tukur (September 1975 – 1977)
Vice chancellor
Mahmud Tukur (1975 – October 1977)
J. O. C. Ezeilo (1977–1978)
Ibrahim Umar (1979–1986)
Dandatti Abdulkadir (1986–1990)
M. Sani Zakraddeen (1990–1995)
Bello Bako Dambatta (1995–1999)
Musa Abdullahi (August 1999 – 2004)
Attahiru Muhammad Jega (September 2004 – 2010)
Abubakar Adamu Rasheed (June 2010 – 17 August 2015)
Muhammad Yahuza Bello (Tuesday 18 August 2015 – 17 August 2020)
Sagir Adamu Abbas (17 August 2020 – July 2025)
Haruna Musa (1 July 2025 - Present)
Project and Commission
On 15 August 2025 an international conference center was commission in the school the center was commissioned by the executive secretary of tetfund Sonny Echono.
On 12 August the old campus main entrance gate was commission by the former vice chancellor Sagir Abass.
People
Notable alumni
Ahmed Adamu, petroleum economist and lecturer
Mansur Dan Ali, Minister of Defence
Zaynab Alkali, author
Jumai Bello, managing director Bauchi Radio Corporation
Zuwaira Gambo, commissioner of women affairs and poverty development, Borno state
Abba Gumel, Professor of Mathematics, Arizona State University
Mukhtar Shehu Idris, politician, Governor-elect of Zamfara State
Farooq Kperogi, author, columnist, journalism professor at Kennesaw State University
Farouk Lawan, politician
Mohammed Mabdul, Nigerian diplomat and former ambassador to Algeria
Saleh Mamman, Nigerian minister of power
Moses Ochonu, historian, author
Salisu Usman Ogbo, Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja
Rabia Salihu Sa'id, physicist
Ibrahim Sheme, novelist, journalist, publisher
Yushau Shuaib, author
Jamilah Tangaza, journalist, former head of BBC Hausa
Ahmad Sani Yerima, former governor, Zamfara State
Notable faculty
Abdalla Uba Adamu
Stewart Brown
Abdul Haleem Chishti
Reginald Cline-Cole
Bello Bako Dambatta
Hafsat Ganduje
Abdulrazak Gurnah, Nobel Prize in Literature 2021
Mukhtar Atiku Kurawa
Holders of honorary degrees
Yayale Ahmed
Abdullahi Bayero
Theophilus Danjuma
Muammar Gaddafi
Aminu Kano
Nelson Mandela
Murtala Mohammed
Yusuf Maitama Sule
Affiliated colleges
Sa'adatu Rimi College of Education
Jigawa State College of Education
Bayero University Kano Admission Updates