Gov. Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has been conferred with an honorary Doctorate Degree by Lincoln University College, Malaysia, in recognition of his leadership, developmental reforms and contributions to societal advancement.
The degree was awarded at the university’s 18th Convocation Ceremony held on Monday in Selangor, Malaysia.
In his acceptance speech, Yahaya described the honour as a validation of shared ideals anchored on knowledge, service and cross-border collaboration.
He drew parallels between Nigeria and Malaysia’s post-colonial experiences, noting that Malaysia’s transformation into a thriving, multicultural knowledge economy offers lessons for Nigeria’s development aspirations.
The governor said the establishment of Lincoln University College’s Nigeria campus in Kumo, Gombe State, was inspired by this shared history and vision.
According to him, the campus, conceived through a public-private partnership, is designed as a specialist centre of excellence in medical and allied fields and has secured foundational accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) for transnational operations.
Yahaya described the university as a bridge linking Malaysian innovation with Nigerian aspirations, pledging to personally champion the partnership, including sponsoring indigenes of Gombe State to study at the institution.
He said the Nigeria campus would enable students to access world-class education locally, reduce the cost of overseas study, curb brain drain and promote home-grown talent.
The governor traced the collaboration to his administration’s data-driven investment in education since 2019, citing the construction and renovation of over 2,000 classrooms, upgrading of five schools into mega centres, recruitment of 1,000 teachers and reintegration of more than 450,000 out-of-school children.
He also highlighted the establishment of Tsangaya Islamic centres across the state to harmonise Qur’anic and western education.
According to him, these reforms improved WAEC results, with students attaining five credits including English and Mathematics rising from 26 per cent in 2019 to 78 per cent in 2022.
Yahaya added that access to higher education had been expanded through two additional campuses of Gombe State University and the establishment of a 1,000-capacity School of Nursing and Midwifery.
The governor was accompanied by the Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, the Secretary to the State Government, senior officials, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian High Commission in Malaysia, a former Nigerian High Commissioner to Malaysia and a former Commissioner for Higher Education.
