Universities to honour late Prof. Adamu Baikie with global tribute
By Uji A Iliyasu, Abuja
A consortium of Nigerian and international universities has announced plans to hold a Global Day of Tributes and Orations in honour of the late Professor Adamu David Baikie, a renownedl00 educationist who died on December 12, 2025, at the age of 94.
The event, scheduled for January 15, 2026, is being organised by Walter Miller Educational Resources Ltd./Walter Miller University (proposed), in collaboration with Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria; the University of Benin, Benin City; the National University of Lesotho, Maseru; and the Nigerian Academy of Education.
Disclosing this in a statement, the chairman of the project implementation committee at Walter Miller University, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, said the tribute night would formally kick-start efforts to immortalise Prof. Baikie’s enduring legacies in education and national development.
Professor Baikie, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s foremost educationists with continental and global influence, was laid to rest on December 23, 2025, in Wusasa, Zaria, his hometown.
The organisers have invited members of the public, academics and professionals to participate in the global event, while calling for the submission of tributes and scholarly orations on or before January 10, 2026, for compilation and publication ahead of the ceremony.
According to the statement, Prof. Baikie is deserving of honour for his unparalleled contributions to education and public service.
“He distinguished himself as an accomplished scholar and teacher, a Vice-Chancellor of exceptional repute, a gifted administrator and researcher, a respected boardroom diplomat, a community builder, and a global citizen whose impact spanned institutions and generations,” the statement said.
During his illustrious career, Prof. Baikie served as vice-chancellor of three universities, Chairman of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Dean of the Faculty of Education, and Director of the Institute of Education at ABU, Zaria. He also acted as vice-chancellor of ABU on five occasions.
Outside academia, he held several key national positions, including Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Chief Commissioner of the Federal Public Complaints Commission, and Chairman of the Board of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
Contributors are requested to forward their tributes or orations to the Secretariat via email at [email protected].
The statement further revealed that His Royal Highness, Sanusi Mohammed III, will deliver the keynote address titled “Professor David Adamu Baikie: A Trailblazer in Education.”
Senator Ogbeha also conveyed the goodwill of General T. Y. Danjuma (rtd.), who, he said, holds the memory and ideals of the late Professor Baikie in very high esteem.