Bayero University, Kano, on Thursday, 11th September, 2025, held its second Registry Roundtable Discussion with the theme “Strengthening Administrative Excellence: Rethinking the Roles of Faculty Officers and Administrative Secretaries.”
Declaring the event open at the Senate Chamber, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Haruna Musa, fsi, emphasized that administrators play critical roles in the smooth functioning of the university system, stressing that no institution can operate optimally without their services. He assured that his administration would continue to prioritize the empowerment of the Registry Department through capacity building for effective service delivery.
The Vice-Chancellor further revealed that just last week, 30 non-teaching staff returned from a capacity-building training in Kaduna. He explained that training programmes would no longer be business as usual, as every staff member sponsored for training must cascade the knowledge gained to colleagues in order to impact the university system and promote a culture of mentorship.
Highlighting milestones recorded since his assumption of office, the Vice-Chancellor noted that the University Management had engaged the Federal Mortgage Bank for the construction of 500 houses for staff, a project expected to significantly address housing deficits. He disclosed that a memorandum of understanding would soon be signed to actualize the initiative.
Professor Musa also announced Management’s plans to enhance intra-campus shuttle services with the provision of 20 brand-new electric-powered Keke Napep to ease transportation challenges faced by students.
Shedding more light on these interventions, the Registrar, Malam Haruna Aliyu, disclosed that the Vice-Chancellor had approved the sum of Five Million Naira (N5m) for the training of non-teaching staff, which would soon commence for Administrative Assistants, Administrative Officers, System Analysts, Programmers, and Senior Administrative Officers. He added that efforts were also underway to provide laptops for administrative staff in batches.
Delivering the keynote address, Malam Aliyu underscored the need for administrative staff to be innovative in their approach, transparent in their dealings, and accountable in decision-making and implementation. He outlined the responsibilities of faculty officers, which include records management, advisory roles, policy implementation, communications, event planning, coordination, and quality assurance.
He also highlighted the duties of administrative secretaries, noting that they manage correspondence, ensure smooth workflow, and handle scheduling and logistics. He stressed that both faculty officers and administrative secretaries form vital partnerships that sustain the administrative functions of faculties, centres, and directorates.
The Registrar acknowledged the challenges confronting administrative and academic excellence, including inadequate training, poor ICT infrastructure, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and resistance to change. He, however, proposed strategies such as continuous capacity building, digitization, career structure redefinition, mentorship, professional associations, ethical reorientation, and collaborative governance as pathways to strengthening administrative excellence.
Speaking on the essence of the programme, Chairman of the Registry Roundtable Discussion Committee, Malam Nura Garba, explained that the second edition was organized to cross-fertilize ideas, share knowledge and experiences among faculty officers and administrative secretaries, and adopt best practices for the university system. He added that the forum would help participants renew their commitment to improved workplace efficiency.
In their goodwill messages, Malam Mustapha Aminu, Senior Deputy Registrar in the Registrar’s Office, and Hajiya Halima Hayat, Director, General Administration, commended the Registrar for his innovation and efficiency. They praised his initiatives to improve workflow and strengthen the Registry Department.
Earlier, the Committee Secretary, Malam Zahraddeen Ibrahim Kalla, recalled that following the success of the maiden edition, the committee was mandated to organize the second session to engage faculty officers and administrative secretaries.
The event closed with a vote of thanks delivered by committee member, Malam Usman Madaki, who expressed gratitude to the Registrar for the opportunity to serve and appreciated the participants for their attendance and active engagement