Title(s)/Position(s): Professor / Director, ICT
Publications: Research Gate
Publications: Google Scholar
Abdussalam Balarabe Suleiman is a Professor of Physics (Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics). He was born on 29th November, 1967 at No 573A Hausawa Gwale Quarters in the ancient city of Kano. He attended Dandago Special Primary School Kano from 1972 to 1979, from 1979 -1981 He proceeded to Ramat Unity College Yola under the National Exchange Programme (NEP), from 1981 – 1984 he attended Science Secondary School Hong. He attended Bayero University, Kano from 1986- 1992 for his undergraduate studies, where he obtained BSc (Physics). In 2005 he obtained MSc (Physics) in Bayero University, Kano. He also obtained PhD (Physics) in 2012 from the famous and premier University Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. His MSc and PhD dissertations were all computationally based, therefore in 2005 he enrolled in Cisco Academy for four (4) Semesters and obtained John Chamber’s award in all the Semesters. In May 2006 he sat for the CCNA Certification examination and scored 950 points out of 1000, hence qualified him to be a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).
In his academic pursuit, he is in the academia for over 20years, he has taught different aspects of physics at all level of undergraduate and postgraduate studies and supervises numerous undergraduate and presently supervising both MSc and PhD students in the department of Physics. His academic experiences includes international exposure as he taught in the Physics department of the University of The Gambia, from 2011- 2013. His research interest includes Computational Electronic Structure Methods and Molecular Dynamics, Electromagnetic force/wave Scattering and Photovoltaics. He also participated in the accreditation exercise of the National University Commission (NUC) since 2017.
He has over 40 scholarly publications in relation to his field of specialization in high impact international and national journals, he also attended over 20 workshops, conferences, seminars and induction courses across the globe, he had presented academic papers during conferences in Europe, America, Asia, South Africa and locally at home. He is an Editor of Wudil Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences (WUJOPAS).
He has been the Head of Department of Physics from Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil to Federal University Dutse, for 7 years. Before his appointment as Director ICT FUD he was the Deputy Director Operations in the ICT.
He is a member of numerous academic and community bodies such as National Institute of Physics, (NIP), National Association of Mathematical Physics (NAMP), International Research and Development Institute (IRDI), Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC), Hausawa youth development Association and Kadawa Development Association.
He is blissfully married with children.
Title(s)/Position(s): Professor
Publications: Research Gate
Publications: Google Scholar
Ahmed Baita Garko, the first Professor of Computer Science from Kano State, Nigeria, has been involved in teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Computer Science since 2005. Born at Garko town of Garko Local Government Area, Kano State on 2nd January, 1973; he attended Garko Central Primary School from 1980 to 1986, Government Senior Secondary Grammar School Garko from 1987 to 1989, and Science Secondary School Dawakin Tofa from 1990 to 1992 for his basic and secondary school education. He also attended Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto from 1993 to 1998, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science in 1998. Later in 2009, he obtained a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Bayero University, Kano. Also, he obtained a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science in 2012, from the Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola.
Professor Garko worked with the defunct Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (Nitel) from 2001 to 2005 in the Information Technology Department where he served as a System Analyst/Programmer, and he was the pioneer Mediation Manager of the Company who was in charge of meter readings and call detail records of all the Nitel switches nationwide. In April, 2005 he voluntarily resigned from the services of Nitel and joined the Academia as a Graduate Assistant with the Kano University of Science & Technology (KUST), Wudil. At KUST, he held many responsibilities, prominent among which are: Level coordinator, Departmental Examinations Officer, Deputy Faculty Examinations Officer, Faculty Examinations Officer, Head of Unit, Head of Computer Science Department, Pioneer Deputy Dean, Faculty of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Deputy Director, Management Information Systems (MIS), Member, University Governing Council representing the Congregation, Chairman, Taskforce Committee on Water, Electricity and Diesel Purchasing. He was also chairman and member to more than 20 university committees at the Kano University of Science & Technology, Wudil.
In March, 2013, Professor Garko joined the services of the Federal University Dutse (FUD) as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science. At FUD, he was appointed the pioneer Head of Computer Science Department. Notable among his achievements as the Head of Department are: Establishing the Department itself, boosting its staffing from two (2) to more than fourty (40) academic staff making it a department with the highest number of academic staff in the University; establishing and equipping of three computer laboratories, three classrooms, securing of many offices for staff, procurement of the hardware laboratory equipment, and securing from the University additional block (extension) for the Department which houses HOD’s office, Conference room, three additional classes for postgraduate students, two professorial offices, and five additional offices for staff, all within his 2-year tenure as Head of Department.
Professor Garko was the pioneer Editor-in-chief of the Dutse Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences (DUJOPAS), a publication of the Faculty of Science; he steered the activities of the Journal from its inception in 2015 to December, 2017. Under his leadership, the Journal has gain wider recognition and acceptance from many parts of the country. In its December, 2017 edition, the Journal received more than 60 articles from different universities and higher institutions across the country, and more than 50 articles were accepted and published.
His other responsibilities at the Federal University Dutse include: Pioneer Director, University Computer Centre; after merging the Computer Centre with the MIS, he was in April, 2016 appointed as the pioneer Director, Information and Communication Techonology of the University. His main goals in his new appointment are: To develop and manage the University Portal In-house, To design, develop, and manage the University website In-house, and To improve/build the capacity of the ICT staff in the University.
Furthermore, he supervised more than 100 undergraduate projects, more than 20 M.Sc. Computer Science and Information Technology students’ dissertations. He examined more than 30 M.Sc. Computer Science dissertations at Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, Bayero University, Kano, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Kebbi State University of Science & Technology, Aliero, and Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina. Professor Garko is a visiting Professor to Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano, and Sule Lamido University, Kafin-Hausa. He is also an external examiner to many universities and polytechnics in Nigeria. He has published more than 50 academic articles in reputable national and international journals, proceedings, books and book chapters. He is also, a member of three academic associations: Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), and Intertional Association of Engineers and Computer Scientists (IAENG).
Professor Ahmed Baita Garko is happily married with five children (4 Boys and 1 Girl).
ICT can be defined as the technology required in carrying out information activities, in particular, the use of electronic computers, communication devices and software applications to format, store, protect, process, transmit and retrieve information from anywhere, anytime. Higher Education in general and University Education in particular, is a system that relies solely on information processing. From the admission and registration processes, the teaching and learning processes to results computation, ICT is playing vital roles in simplifying all these processes. Some of the ICT facilities in the University are:
The invention or development of a new physical body or mental tool like ICT creates both opportunities and challenges. In brief summary, ICT as a tool typically:
ICT is an example of a technology that is a powerful change agent and that is applicable in most human endeavors. We can easily and precisely examine how ICT contributes to tools that enhance our physical bodies and activities. Currently, in our institutions and other related bodies we have microscopes, telescopes, brain scanning machine, automated factories and tools, and a huge range of other tools that are highly dependent on ICT.
ICT minimizes a number of problems in education, such as digital equity, the need for a relatively expensive addition to an institution’s infrastructure, and how to provide a conducive learning environment has been supplemented with the development and application of ICT in education by creating virtual classrooms and also by making distance learning easier, cost effective, and more accommodating. ICT in education also minimizes problems of how to deal with potential changes in curriculum content, instructional processes, and assessment in a manner that leads to students getting a better education easily and at a lesser cost.
ChallengesSome challenges in using ICT as effective and efficient tool in promoting teaching, learning, and research are as follows:
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Directorate was established by the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Fatima Batul Mukhtar after merging the former Management Information Systems (MIS) Unit with the University Computer Centre for effective running of day-to-day information processing in the University.
Dr. Ahmed Baita Garko was appointed as the Pioneer Director to administer the affairs of the Directorate with six units created to execute its day to day activities. The units and their heads are:
Unit Names | Head of Unit |
---|---|
ICT Infrastructure and Services | AbdulRauf Yamta |
Systems Administration and Development | Faruk Umar Sani |
Learning and Teaching Technologies | Gaddafi Abba Umar |
ICT Support and Maintenance | Aminu Iguda |
Project Management and Management Reporting | Adamu Umaru |
ICT Business and Training | Ilham Mahmud Ibrahim |
ICT Support and Maintenance Unit: The ICT support and maintenance unit is charged with the responsibilities of repairs and maintenances of all university office machines, ICT equipment, maintenance and training computer science student posted on SIWES and IT workshop.
ICT Project Monitoring and Management of Reporting Unit: The unit is charged with generating report on students, creating, retrieving and updating staff records, also as part of its function, the unit is charged with monitoring all ICT projects.
ICT Training and Business Unit: The key function of the unit training of staffs, management of ICT café and Business in ICT.
Training of staff: In other to improve the teaching and learning capacity in the university, ICT provided oriented in-house training approaches in other to make all the university staffs from various departments/units on up-to-date computing task in both teaching and office work.
Management of cafe: The unit is charged with running the daily actives of the ICT Internet café; also the unit is responsible for handling of the entire ICT business ranging from diploma courses to selling of IT gadget.
System Admin and Development: The unit is charged with analysis, design, planning, development, implementation and maintenance of all university software, ranging from school website, result calculating software, assignment of responsibility to various university lecturers up to handling of hostel management system.
Learning Teaching Technologies Unit: The Unit is in charge of Managing E-Learning and Teaching content platforms of the university which promote teaching, learning, research and innovation for both staff and students respectively and also offer premium content in database, eBooks, journals, magazines which are resourceful invention apparatus for searching across all ICT/library, Online Education Resources. The unit has the following Responsibilities/Schedules:
The Federal University Dutse as one of the new universities established in 2011 has come a long way in becoming one of the leading universities in terms of ICT applications. The University itself and some of its good friends like the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have invested huge sum of money in executing so many multi-million naira projects in the University. Notable among these projects are:
Prof. Ahmed Baita Garko
Director, ICT
Designation: System Analyst I
Position: Head of Unit
e-mail: Yamta.a@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst I
e-mail: Yusuf.jalilat@fud.edu.ng
Designation: Data Processing Officer
e-mail: Adamu.m@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst II
e-mail: umar.muazzam@fud.edu.ng
Designation: Computer Engineer II
e-mail: m.amin@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst II
e-mail: mdsani@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst I
Position: Head of Unit
e-mail: Faruk.s@fud.edu.ng
Designation: Senior Academic Planning Officer
e-mail: Ibrahimsule@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst I
e-mail: rihanat@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst I
e-mail: Muazzam.b@fud.edu.ng
Designation: Programmer II
e-mail: Abba.r@fud.edu.ng
Designation: Programmer II
e-mail: Sadiqaliyu@fud.edu.ng
Designation: Programmer I
e-mail: Abdulrazak.umar@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst II
e-mail: sadiq.f@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst II
Position: Head of Unit
e-mail: Ilham.mahmoud@fud.edu.ng
Designation:
e-mail:
Designation: Data Processing Officer
e-mail: kabiru.aliyu@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst I
e-mail:
Designation: System Analyst
Position: Head of Unit
e-mail:
Designation: System Analyst I
e-mail: gkukuma@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst I
e-mail: aminuddeen@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst I
e-mail: ejikefeanyi.n@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst I
e-mail: Nafisa.ringim@fud.edu.ng
Designation: Data Processing Officer
Position: Head of Unit
e-mail: Iguda.aminu@fud.edu.ng
Designation: Senior Comp. Operator
e-mail: Babale.h@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst II
e-mail: aminu@fud.edu.ng
Designation: Senior Academic Planning Officer
Position: Head of Unit
e-mail: Adamu.umaru@fud.edu.ng
Designation: System Analyst I
e-mail: Ahmed.m@fud.edu.ng