22 Things You Should Know About Benue State University Makurdi

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Permit me to start by declaring my dear school, Benue State University Makurdi (BSUM), a Nigerian university to be amongst the best in Africa. I say this with all zest because I can attest to it and probably prove it beyond reasonable doubt. Smiles!

You may have gotten wind of this information already, but I would still love to reiterate that BSUM is a place to find beauty within brains.I fell in love with my school after having a first-hand experience of it.

Funny enough, it all started with a reluctance to apply to BSUM. I felt it wasn’t worth it to study in my state and, worst of all, a state university, but after much consideration, I decided to try it, and here I am today, happily studying psychology at this great institution.

Some facts about this school formed the core basis that swayed my decision to pursue a BSUM degree and subsequently fall in love with the school. These facts are highlighted below;

22 Things You Should Know About Benue State University Makurdi

1. The history 

Everyone who knows BSUM always gives credit to the then Governor of the state, the Late Rev. Fr. Moses Adasu, a visionary leader who saw the need to have a university in the state for the benefit of the citizens.

Having received this revelation as a priest and Governor of the state, he swung into action in 1992, establishing the school and subsequently implementing two (2) significant goals of the school, which were to serve as a ground for the intellectual development of the students and imbibing God-fearing attributes in them.

These goals, which the university followed zealously from inception, have endeared it to many and made it a gold mine for realizing purposes.

2. Top-notch facilities

When we talk of schools with sound technology systems laced with creativity, then think BSUM. These aren’t mere speculation; I can stake on it. BSUM possesses the best medical facilities among all teaching hospitals in Nigeria, with state-of-the-art equipment in the laboratories and library provided to enable students to explore and keep abreast with technological advancement.

These facilities help transition students and position them for exploits even before and after leaving school.

3. BSUM portal 

In this contemporary time, every organization aiming to scale up takes cognisance of one thing; Digitalization. They digitize their services and add innovations to it, something unique to spice up and stand tall among rivals.

I can confidently boast of this in BSUM. I can’t recount the number of times when I couldn’t subdue my pride and just had to let it out by passing off comments to my friends about how lucky I was studying here. 

Yes, there are glitches that rear their ugly heads, but that single act of digitizing every school process, from admissions to documentation, fee payments, registration, and results placements, has placed BSUM on the pedestal for global recognition.

4. Residential halls

Usually, I dislike hotels for personal reasons, but I bet you’d become amazed at the ambience of BSUM hostels. Seated at the banks of the great river Benue, the two main campus and hostels of BSUM provide an excellent opportunity for relaxation, studies, and other extracurricular activities. 

Although students, over time, have misused such opportunities to satiate their youthful lusts leading to strict policies from school management. Still, these hotels at their strategic locations provide great atmospheres for perfect studies in school. 

5. Location 

Located at Wurukum in the heart of Makurdi, the capital city of Benue state, and sitting just adjacent to the great river Benue, BSUM has helped create a connection between students and the bustling city of Makurdi. 

Students now have a reminiscence of their home as they rarely go through the stress of adapting to a different climate or geographical location.

6. Research centres

To give maximum attention to research, BSUM has a research department that primarily oversees the affairs of the school research centers. Headed by a seasoned researcher, the research department ensures the availability of all research tools to enhance studies in school.

7. Latin motto

BSUM motto is born out of the quest for knowledge in liberating Benue state. The motto, Scientia Liberatio Populorum, that is “Knowledge for the Liberation of the People,” reminds the students of their need for self-development and, subsequently the development of their community.

8. Diverse academic programs

Academic programs in BSUM vary, from pre-degree programs to sandwich degrees and extending to post-graduate academic programs.

9. BSUM Sports

One thing you can’t take away from most BSUM students is their passion for sports. BSUM extracurricular activities enhance sports and competition.

To ensure its suitability and effective participation, diverse sports fields are set up across the two main campuses of the school to encourage sports among students and develop talents among them.

10. Entertainment

I can’t help but include BSUM campus among Nigeria’s entertainment hubs.

An average student of BSUM has an affinity for clubbing, parties, and the like. Little wonder the stereotype about BSUM ladies being rated among the bad bitches in the country. 

The rates of night socializations in BSUM are sometimes mind-blowing, and to satiate these unquenchable lusts, entrepreneurs in Makurdi establish various club houses and concert halls across the school in order to provide opportunities for these students to explore.

Though, a bookworm like my mates fondly call me, I still take time once in a while to peep into them, not because I have the enthusiasm like they do, but just to taste the amusement of watching love birds display their mysterious love acts in the dark. 

11. Student support

Student support in BSUM is integrated into the scheme of a staff advisor. Every student in a department is assigned to a specific staff advisor whose task is to oversee the welfare of each student in that department and also serve as a counselor of the students.

12. School hospital

Created out of the growing concern for medical students of the school, BSUM Teaching Hospital has evidently evolved from serving the student’s medical needs to being among the top hospitals in Nigeria based on referrals.

The university, built to completion by former Governor Gabriel Suswam, has been a great tool for advancing the Medical College in BSUM.

13. Financial aid

Loans are rarely given in BSUM, but in contrast, grants are readily available to students with specific requirements.These could be academic excellence, levels attained, and ethnic or geographic backgrounds. These aids could be school fees, extra stipends, and others.

Political leaders, CEOs, and religious and sectional leaders award these grants to eliminate hardship among students. Popular and current among all are Senator Titus Zam’s grants for Zone B students of the states and Pastor Paul Enenche’s scholarship. 

14. School FM

Situated at the school’s second campus, BSUM FM serves as the agency for information about school activities, as well as a platform where students’ voices are heard concerning issues that affect them and where the school’s management is interrogated and required to give accounts for their actions.

15. Extracurricular activities 

You can’t talk about BSUM and its academic life without referring to the other aspects of the school: associations, fellowships, groups, and other affiliations.

I am a participant in many of these extracurricular activities on campus. I currently serve as the Evangelism and Academic coordinator of Psychology Christian fellowship and also as the coordinator of the Flagbearer’s team on campus.

BSUM recognizes the impacts of these activities on campus and infuses them into school programs to enhance the complete development of the students. 

These extracurricular activities serve a particular purpose on campus; they help sharpen the behaviour of individuals in the group through group influences and also serve as a source of motivation to its members. 

There are indeed many of these associations on BSUM, each with its own goals and distinctions. JCCF, FCS, Minda association, Iharev association, Otukpo association, and the Oju ethnic group form part of the groups for extracurricular activities in BSUM.

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16. Cultural cornucopia

One fascinating fact about BSUM is that it serves as a refinery where characters are melted and molded to enhance a civilized lifestyle. Individuals at the initial stages of school arrive with diverse cultural identities but quickly get integrated into the norms after having contact with those around them.

17. Cut-off marks and admission 

Generally, all schools follow Jamb’s guidelines when laying rules for attaining admission into their various programs, and BSUM is not excluded. These rules include the mark which serve as a threshold for gaining admission into their various programs, which is a minimum of 180.

However, departments like Law, Medicine surgery and a few others have higher scores of at least 250 due to their increased competitiveness.

18. Degree programs 

Composed of diverse fields of study, BSUM has a range of professional courses that aim at giving students better opportunities to pick their preferred field in enhancing their careers.

Courses in BSUM range from Medicine and surgery to Law, Theatre arts, and Psychology, which I’m currently studying. Some have a duration of 4 years, while others could extend further due to the nature and complexity of the courses.

19. Awards and ranking

Benue State University ranks among the top 10 state universities in Nigeria. It has received awards for excellence in research and awards for student development in the past years. Students are not left out as our law students came second in the national and international law competition that was recently organised.

Our sports team has been victorious at the Nuga games organised yearly in Nigeria. Our staff have also been recognized as some of the dedicated staff in their various associations nationally.

20. Notable alumni

You can never fathom the joy of a father watching his child flourish after being under his supervision for many years. The same can be said of a teacher observing with pride the remarkable progress that the child makes from his teaching. While this serves as some sort of achievement, it also presents an awareness of the standard these trainers possess.

BSUM notably has prominent individuals from all walks of life who once passed through the teaching and supervision of the school as students. This includes the immediate past Governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, current members of the national assembly and others.

21. Love garden

I still recall the first day I stepped into BSUM. I met a beautiful girl and immediately caught her attention. We didn’t get into the talking stage, but the memories of that day still linger in my head.

Just like me, students on campus in BSUM mostly find themselves getting attracted to the opposite; like the popular phrase among students in BSUM ‘na only serious students (first class aspirants) no dey love.’

Their affinity to each other usually surpasses mere likeness hence they go all in to realise their goal. Those who can sustain their flamboyant lifestyle typically go on dates. Still, the actual ones hang around in the cool of the evening at departmental parks like the Mass-com Park, Pol Park, and Theatre Arts Park, or back of hotels like the ultra-modern hotels or beside the hotels, where they engage in all manner of fun and profess love to each other.

22. Food spots

Nicknamed the food basket of the nation, Benue State doesn’t only boast of different varieties of foods but also at a cheaper rate. I can’t recount how many times as a student, I’ve been able to feed on a wrap of Fufu (Akpu) and soup fora meagre cost of 100 Naira, or the times I ate a plate of beans and yam for 250 Naira.

Life under this present administration is harsh on citizens, but we in Benue experience a cushioned effect of being the Nation’s food supplier.

And no wonder, in every corner of BSUM, you will find a spot where food sales activities boom. Central among all is the Labour market of campuses 1 and 2. Every meeting point in BSUM is an avenue to eat good food.

Conclusion

Benue State University Makurdi is not just a learning school but also a place for experiences. In spite of all the amazing facts about this school, the single fact that this institute is a Nigerian school implies that you have to work your socks off. It’s not all rosy; every good thing comes with its advantages and disadvantages.

Just as my sister often says, a student of Benue State will likely survive and do well in any other university in the world. If given another opportunity, I will choose BSUM over many other universities in the world.

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Edited by Oluwanifemi Akintomide.