On Friday, 19th September, 2025, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, held the foundation laying ceremony for the Institute of Capital Market Studies of the University.
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chairman, Board of the Institute, Professor Mohammed Maikano Ari, commended the Vice-Chancellor for her dedication and support in making the project a reality. He also acknowledged the contributions of students to the growth and development of the university. Professor Ari emphasized that the Institute would not merely be a physical structure, but a global hub for research, innovation, and knowledge-sharing, aimed at promoting academic excellence in the financial sector.
In his welcome address, the Director of the Institute, Professor Uche Uwaleke, appreciated the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, for her unwavering support in creating an enabling environment for nurturing and developing the institute to current state. He also expressed appreciation to the immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sulaiman Bala Mohammed, for his visionary role in initiating the project. Professor Uwaleke further thanked the Chairman and members of the Board of the Institute for their commitment to making the ceremony a success.
He noted that the Institute was not only the first of its kind in Nigeria but also the first university-based Institute of Capital Market Studies in Africa. He described it as a premier centre for financial market research, training, and policy engagement.
Professor Uwaleke announced that the National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved three pioneering doctoral programmes in Financial Market Regulation, Money and Capital Markets, and Development Finance, which would attract students globally. He stressed that the Institute would not just be a building, but a hub for innovation and a citadel of learning that will contribute significantly to Africa’s economic growth.
In his remarks, the University Registrar, Dr. Bala I. Ahmed II, expressed delight at what he described as a legacy project. He commended the Vice-Chancellor for her visionary leadership and congratulated the Director of the Institute on the successful execution of the event, describing the project as a beacon for academic growth and development.
Delivering goodwill messages, Mallam Mairiga Katuka, Dr. Sterling Elis, and Professor Magnus Kpapor congratulated the university and the institute on this milestone. They praised the Vice-Chancellor for her steadfast and commitment to academic excellence, noting that the foundation laying was not merely about a physical structure, but about creating a platform for a world-class capital market institute. They further called for stronger partnerships in advancing technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the Institute’s global impact.
The highpoint of the event was the laying of the foundation stone by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, supported by other dignitaries.
