ABU, China Central South Varsity agree to revive, expand 3+2 double degree pact

By Saidu Abubakar

Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and Central South University (CSU), China have agreed to reactivate and expand the scope of the 3+2 double degree partnership which was started in 2017.

According to a statement by the Public Affairs Directorate, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (NAM), the academic collaboration between the two institutions started in 2017 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the umbrella of the China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) framework.

The programme, for example, allows students to complete three years at Ahmadu Bello University and two at Central South University in China, graduating with degrees from both institutions.

When the partnership fully started in 2018, the first set of ABU students totalling 45 were flown to China to complete the degree programme at Central South University (CSU).

Since then, the collaboration went on successfully until around 2021 when it collapsed largely due to global lockdown arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both parties now agreed to reactivate and expand the scope of the partnership after a virtual meeting they held on Friday, 19th December, 2025 for that purpose.

They also agreed to include staff exchange programmes, joint research supervision, and other collaborative academic ventures in the new agreement, the statement added.

The Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Prof Adamu Ahmed, who during the online meeting provided a historical context of the partnership, stressed that the collaboration remained a “flagship model for engineering education in Nigeria.”

Prof Ahmed, who led a six-member team to the virtual meeting, appreciated profoundly the CSU leadership for what he described as the “highly productive virtual meeting”.

He said ABU was deeply encouraged by the CSU interest in reactivating the landmark 3+2 Double Degree Programme.

The meeting, according to the Vice-Chancellor, reaffirmed that the bond between the two institutions remained a shinning example of the China-Africa Cooperation framework.

Prof Ahmed also appreciated the CSU openness to expand the collaboration into critical frontiers such as medical and life sciences, renewable energy, and computer engineering.

Members of the ABU team led by the Vice-Chancellor at the virtual meeting included Director, Directorate of Advancement and International Education, Prof M I Umar-Buratai; and Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Prof J M Kaura.

Others were Head, Department of Civil Engineering, Prof B H S Amartey; Assistant Director, Directorate of Advancement and International Education, Dr Ahmed Zakaria; and Coordinator, 3+2 Double Degree Programme, Dr Mohammed Ashiru.

The Vice-Chancellor, Central South University, Li Zhihong led the CSU team at the online meeting.

Members of the CSU team included Director, Office of the International Cooperation and Exchanges, Yin Gang; Dean, School of International Education, Zhan Liua; and Dean, Faculty of Transport Engineering.

They also included Vice Dean, School of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, Peng Yong; Dean, School of Civil Engineering, Wang Weidong; and CSU’s other management staff.