By Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
The management and university community of Taraba State University (TSU), Jalingo, alongside family members, friends, colleagues, students and well-wishers, have celebrated the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sunday Paul Bako, for attaining 20 years in academia and two decades as a full professor.
The celebration featured a thanksgiving service held at Adonai Chapel of Transformation, Taraba State University, Jalingo.
In his remarks, Bako expressed gratitude to God, the university community and the Taraba State Government for their support throughout his academic career.
He clarified that the milestone marked 20 years in academia and 20 years as a full professor, rather than 40 years in academia and 20 years as a professor.
“God has been guiding and directing me from my younger age on the way to go. I came to realise that everything He was doing was for my good,” he said.
The vice-chancellor said he had gained considerable experience during his years in the university system and believed that many others had also benefited from his knowledge and mentorship.
“I believe that many have learnt from me also. Many people who were my students, about 20 to 40 of them, are now full professors spread across Nigerian universities, both in the North and South, and some abroad,” he said.
Bako also thanked God for sustaining his health throughout his career, describing his experience as rewarding despite the challenges.
“It has been quite an experience and rewarding. The experience has been fair. There have been ups and downs. I thank God that throughout the period, I have not had any serious health challenges that kept me down for a long time. I have had a smooth working experience,” he said.
He identified inadequate funding as one of the major challenges confronting public universities, noting that limited resources continued to affect their operations.
“Every public university is facing the problem of limited resources,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Bako disclosed that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had approved 24 new undergraduate programmes for the university, effective from the 2026/2027 academic session.
According to the approval letter issued by the commission, all the programmes would be offered on a full-time basis at the university’s main campus in Jalingo.
The newly approved programmes include B.A. Sharia, B.A. Christian Theology, B.A. Philosophy, B.A. Religious Studies, B.A. African Traditional Religion, B.A. Classics, B.Sc. Advertising, B.Sc. Broadcasting, B.Sc. Journalism and Media Studies, B.Sc. Public Relations, B.Sc. Data Science and B.Sc. Information and Communication Technology.
Others are B.Sc. Software Engineering, B.Sc. Human Anatomy, B.Sc. Human Physiology, B.Rad. Radiology, B.Sc. Banking and Finance, B.Sc. Meteorology and Climate Studies, B.Sc. Survey and Geo-Informatics, B.Ed. Special Needs Education, B.Ed. Entrepreneurship, B.Ed. Sustainable Development Studies, B.Ed. Human Kinetics and B.Ed. Health Education.
Bako said the approval represented a significant expansion of the university’s academic offerings and was expected to improve access to higher education while strengthening teaching, research, innovation and community service.
He also highlighted ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure, information and communication technology, library facilities, administrative processes, and staff and student welfare.
However, he noted that the university’s expansion had increased pressure on infrastructure, staffing and student enrolment.
“Every year, you bring in new students, but it is not every year that you recruit teachers. This creates a disparity between the number of teachers and students.
“Also, it is not every year that you build new classrooms, so those challenges occur daily. With time, we intend to address the issues as they arise,” he said.
The vice-chancellor stressed the importance of maintaining an appropriate lecturer-to-student ratio, noting that the university would continue to take steps to address the challenges.
He added that institutional development was a continuous process, explaining that one vice-chancellor might not be able to resolve every challenge within a single tenure.
According to him, each administration was expected to contribute to the university’s development, while subsequent administrations would build on the progress made by their predecessors.
Bako also advised young lecturers to exercise patience and follow established procedures for career advancement within the university system.
“Patience is a virtue. You may like to be somewhere or occupy a position without following the steps. In the university system, it is spelt out; you cannot jump from A to C.
“You have to follow the steps from A to the end. Our people do not believe that they have to follow the steps but prefer shortcuts, which are dangerous for the system.
“The young ones look for shortcuts to avoid the processes. Let us be patient and follow the processes, for they help. People who set up the processes know what they are doing. The processes are there for a reason. You cannot move from graduate assistant to professor without following the required stages,” he said.
According to a profile released in connection with the celebration, Bako has authored 120 publications and received recognition for his research contributions, including awards associated with environmental research and sustainable agriculture.
During his two decades as a full professor, he has taught, supervised and examined students, while serving as an external examiner and visiting scholar at various Nigerian universities.
His academic influence also extends to professionals and scholars working in academia, public administration, politics and industry.
The profile described his career as one marked by a commitment to knowledge, research and mentorship, with a focus on developing the next generation of scholars and leaders.
Bako previously served as the second vice-chancellor of Kwararafa University, Wukari, from 2017 to 2022, where he contributed to academic development, institutional administration, discipline and infrastructure.
He assumed office as vice-chancellor of Taraba State University on 1 March 2022. Since then, his administration has pursued initiatives aimed at expanding academic programmes, improving infrastructure, strengthening staffing, promoting inclusive leadership and supporting staff development.
In a personal tribute, the Director of SERVICOM in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Isa Mohammed, described Bako as a leader whose vision, discipline, humility, integrity and commitment to the university had left a lasting impression on his colleagues.
Mohammed recalled one of the vice-chancellor’s messages: “Anywhere you find yourself, carry the flag of Taraba State University.”
He said the statement reflected Bako’s emphasis on institutional loyalty, professional responsibility and representing the university with dignity.
The celebration highlighted Bako’s journey from graduate assistant to professor, mentor and university administrator, underscoring the importance of sustained service to education.
Beyond his academic titles and administrative responsibilities, his contributions are reflected in the students he has taught, the scholars he has mentored and the institutional development initiatives associated with his career.