Gambian Varsity’s VC mourns Ambali
By Mubarak Oladosu
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (USET), The Gambia, Prof. Nazmat Surajudeen-Bakinde, has expressed profound shock and sadness over the passing of the nineth Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali OON, describing it as a huge loss to the immediate members of his family and the entire academic community.
In a chat with UNILORIN Bulletin last Thursday(June 25, 2026),Prof.Surajudeen-Bakinde sympathised with the family of the late scholar and the University community. She also sympathised with all the friends, mentees and associates of the late former Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Surajudeen-Bakinde recalled her professional relationship with the late former Vice Chancellor, saying that “I worked with him as Ag. Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at University of Ilorin and also as a Deputy Director at the Centre for International Education.
She said that the late Prof. Ambali was a very calm and approachable man, describing him as an easy-going man with listening ears.
” I had an encounter with him concerning getting our academic gowns of which he was very helpful”, she recalled, and added that “his demise came as a rude shock. May Allah forgive him and grant him Aljanah Firdaus. May Allah console and comfort all of us especially the immediate family and the University community “.
Speaking on her stewardship at USET, the UNILORIN alumna, who is the pioneer Vice Chancellor of USET after it tranformed from The Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) to a University, noted that the University had produced the first set of home grown Engineers of different specialisations for the Gambia in the course of her tenure. She added that the said graduates are expected to transform the face of national development in the West African country.
She said that she was able to achieve what has been recorded based on the drills and deadlines, which the University of Ilorin had exposed her to over the years.
