First Professor of veterinary medicine in northern Nigeria dies at 86

The first professor of veterinary medicine in Northern Nigeria, Shehu Jibrin is dead

Jibrin a former chairman of Bida local government in Niger state who was also Marafan Nupe and the first Nupe professor died in the early hours of Thursday in Bida at the age of 86 after a brief illness.

The Etsu Nupe and Chairman, Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, on Thursday described the death of Prof Shehu Bida, Marafan Nupe, as a monumental loss to the kingdom, Niger state and the country, in general.

The monarch said the death of the late University Don was an irreplaceable loss and his demise has created a wide vacuum, too difficult to fill.

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The traditional ruler also described the late Marafan Nupe, as an academician par excellence and an astute politician.

Late Jibrin was born on October 1st 1934. He started his primary education at Shahuci Elementary School in 1942 and attended other elementary schools at Muregi, Bida and finally Minna wherein 1947-1948 he proceeded to Bida Middle School in the then Niger Province.

He attended Keffi secondary school between 1949-1954, where he obtained his Cambridge School Certificate. In 1955-1957 he left for Vom School where he was trained as Veterinary Assistant. He attended Veterinary College, Tuskegee, Alabama, in the USA where he obtained his First Degree (Doctor) of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from 1962-1967.

He left behind three wives, many children and grandchildren.