Engineer Aliyu Aziz, the immediate past Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), has paid glowing tributes to a former Minister of Defence, Prof. Iya Abubakar, as he clocks 90 years on December 13.
In a statement he entitled โCelebrating a Visionary at 90,โ Engr. Aziz said that it was โwith immense pride and gratitude that I join the celebration of an extraordinary milestone in the life of an exceptional leader and trailblazer โ Senator Prof. Iya Abubakar.โ
According to Engr. Aziz, himself an ID4Africa Emeritus Ambassador, at 90, Prof. Abubakarโs legacy stands tall โas a symbol of intellectual brilliance, visionary leadership, and boundless dedication to the advancement of education, technology, and nation-building.โ
Recalling his encounter with Prof. Abubakar, Engr. Aziz stated:
โI am particularly privileged to be one of the greatest beneficiaries of the Iya Abubakar Computer Center โ an incredible institution that was far ahead of its time. It is astonishing to recall how he procured and established what was then the largest computer in Africa, a CDC Cyber 72 series with a remarkable 64 kilobytes of memory.
โThis technological marvel was accompanied by a line printer capable of printing 1,200 lines per minute, a digital plotter, and a suite of high-level programming languages such as FORTRAN, COBOL, PASCAL, BASIC, and APL, among others. His foresight and determination revolutionized computational capacity in the region and inspired countless minds, including mine.โ
Engr. Aziz stated further that โSenator Prof. Iya Abubakar’s contributions extend far beyond technology. As a scholar, statesman, and leader, his influence has shaped policies and institutions that continue to benefit generations. His dedication to education, research, and national development serves as a beacon for all of us striving to make a difference in our various fields.โ
Therefore, โOn this momentous occasion of his 90th birthday, I salute his monumental achievements and enduring legacy. May he continue to inspire us all with his wisdom, humility, and unwavering commitment to excellence,โ Engr. Aziz further stated.
Born on December 13, 1934 in Belel in the Maiha Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa State, Nigeria, besides serving as Minister of Defence (24 October 1979ย โ January 1981), Prof. Abubakar had previously served as Minister of Internal Affairs (1981โ1982).
As an academic, Prof. Abubakar was appointed Vice-Chancellorย ofย Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1975, a position he held until 1978 when he was forced to resign by the then military authorities following theย โAli Must Goโย student protests of 1978. Prof. Iya Abubakar had previously become the Head of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, ABU, Zaria, at 32.
Prof. Abubakarโs academic trajectory is sprinkled with sparkles of excellence. He achieved aย first class honors degreeย inย Mathematicsย at the University College, Ibadan (nowย University of Ibadan), before he went toย Englandย forย postgraduate studiesย atย Cambridge Universityย in 1958.
In 1960, he conducted research at theย Pasadena Seismological Laboratoryย in theย United Statesย for a year.
And, one year later, he was awarded aย Ph.D.ย inย applied mathematicsย andย theoretical physicsย from Cambridge University, becoming the first person from theย Northern region of Nigeriaย to receive this degree.
He worked as a visitingย professorย at theย University of Michiganย from 1965โ66, before being appointed as professor of mathematics atย Ahmadu Bello Universityย at the age of 28, in 1967.
He held this position until 1975, as well as a visiting professorship at theย City University of New Yorkย from 1971 to 1972.
As a consummate politician, Prof. Abubakar was elected Senator in 1999 for the Adamawa North senatorial districtย in Adamawa State covering the local government areas of Madagali, Maiha, Michika, Mubi North, and Mubi South.
He was re-elected in 2003 and served in the Nigerian upper chamber of the National Assembly till 2007.
As a serving senator, he was notably Chairman of the Senator Committee on Science and Technology, among other roles.