MESSAGE OF APPRECIATION TO MEMBERS ON THE CONCLUSION OF THE 2026 CHAPTER ELECTIONS

Dear Fellow Alumni, On behalf of the Global Executive Committee of the University of Maiduguri Alumni Association, I write to express our profound gratitude to every member of our great Association on the successful conclusion of the 2026 Chapter Elections. This was the first nationwide Chapter election in the history of our Association, and it was conducted digitally from start to finish from membership registration and verification, through declaration of interest and candidate screening, to voting, live results and declaration of winners. That so many of you registered, updated your records, paid your dues, contested, voted and followed the results in such large numbers is a powerful statement of the confidence you have placed in this renewed Association. Your active participation gave the exercise its legitimacy, and for that, we are deeply grateful. We extend our sincere appreciation to: • All contestants, who offered themselves for service with dignity and grace, and who have set a fine example for how our Association conducts its affairs. To those elected, congratulations; to those who did not prevail, thank you the Association still needs your energy and ideas. • Our members across Nigeria whose votes and vigilance made this a truly member-driven exercise. • The Electoral Committee, whose diligence, impartiality and long hours ensured that the process ran fairly and transparently from portal opening to the declaration of results. • The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, for the unwavering institutional support that the University extended to the Association throughout this exercise. • The Director of Advancement and Alumni Affairs and the entire Directorate, for their partnership, in making this a reality, for the guidance and support every step. We do not claim that the exercise was perfect. Being a first-of-its-kind, fully digital process, there were lessons to be learned, and every observation, complaint and suggestion received has been duly noted. These learnings will inform concrete improvements to our portal, our processes and our communications ahead of future elections. We also wish to inform members that bye-elections will be conducted to fill positions that were not contested during this round, across all affected Chapters. The Electoral Committee will announce the timetable and modalities for the bye-elections in due course, and we encourage eligible members in those Chapters to prepare to step forward. These elections have laid a solid foundation on which our Association can now build. With Chapter Executive Committees now in place, we turn our collective attention to our next milestone: the 1st Annual General Meeting, Annual General Congress and Award Night Dinner, holding on Saturday, 7th November 2026, under the theme "Unity, Resilience and Impact: Building UNIMAID, Strengthening the Nation." We look forward to welcoming our newly elected Chapter leaders and members from every part of the world to that historic gathering. Once again, thank you for your participation, your patience and your faith in the Association. Together, we will build the University of Maiduguri and strengthen our nation. With warm regards and esteem, Baba Shettima Kukawa Global President University of Maiduguri Alumni Association (Global)