The Vice-Chancellor of Kashim Ibrahim University, Maiduguri, Prof. Babagana Gutti, has won the 2026 Outstanding Vice-Chancellor of the Year Award for expanding admission opportunities for young people, which the organisers said could help reduce their vulnerability to Boko Haram recruitment.

Speaking in Maiduguri on Monday while conferring the award on Prof. Gutti, the founder of ICT24, Babagana Bukar Ngala, said the recognition was based on the university’s contribution to expanding access to education and providing alternatives to violent extremism.

Ngala said the university had increased the number of students admitted from 1,000 to 4,000 within a short period.

He noted that the expansion had provided more young people with opportunities to pursue higher education rather than remain vulnerable to recruitment by violent groups.

“Expanding access to education is an important way of providing young people with alternatives to recruitment into violent groups,” Ngala said.

He said ICT24 recognised institutions and individuals whose work aligned with its objectives and vision of promoting peace and countering violence in the North-East and the wider Sahel region.

Ngala said the university had also continued to produce graduates who were contributing to society through their work within Nigeria and abroad.

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Receiving the award, Prof. Gutti said the honour reflected the collective efforts of his management team, staff and other stakeholders in transforming the university.

He said the institution had recorded improvements in student welfare and academic services, including transportation, solar-powered electricity, free internet access, water supply and digital academic services.

According to him, the university’s transport system had been strengthened to ensure that students no longer trekked because of a lack of vehicles, a development he attributed partly to media advocacy and the intervention of the Borno State Government.

He said the state government had also created an enabling environment for the expansion of the university, including support for the MBBS programme, ICT and other initiatives aimed at strengthening the institution.

Prof. Gutti said solar-powered electricity had been installed across the campus, including in students’ hostels and academic departments, while free internet services had been provided to support teaching and learning.

He added that the drilling of several boreholes had helped address water shortages on the campus.

The vice-chancellor said the digitization of academic services had enabled students to access their results and other academic information online, describing the development as part of efforts to make education more accessible.

He urged prospective students to seek admission into the university, saying education remained a key tool in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency, which had targeted the education system.

Prof. Gutti called for greater cooperation between students and lecturers to help position the university among the best institutions in the country.

He also urged the media to continue scrutinising the university, saying the management was open to corrections, criticism, and constructive suggestions that could improve education in Borno State.

The Registrar of the university, Jallaba Shekh, pledged that the management would continue to strengthen the institution as it recovered from the effects of more than a decade of Boko Haram insurgency.

She thanked ICT24 and its Chief Executive Officer for recognising Prof. Gutti with the award.

Prof. Gutti said he had initially declined the honor because his priority was to serve humanity rather than seek personal recognition.

He said members of his management team, however, had persuaded him to accept the award, noting that it also recognised their collective efforts in developing the university.

On funding, the vice-chancellor acknowledged support from both the federal and Borno State governments described the state government as the institution’s major financial supporter.

He commended Governor Babagana Zulum for supporting the payment of staff salaries, the day-to-day running of the university, and major development projects, including the university hospital.

Prof. Gutti also acknowledged the contributions of the university’s chancellor, governing council, and other partners to the institution’s development.

He said his leadership philosophy was based on service, sincerity, and openness to ideas from staff and students.

“I always tell my colleagues that when you find yourself in positions of responsibility, don’t think about what you are going to get. When you do things for humanity, a lot of things come your way,” he said.

He added that providing direction while allowing others to contribute ideas had helped the management make progress in developing the university.