Bishop Kukah Rejects Hausa Identity, Clarifies Kaduna Roots at COOU Convocation

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Matthew Kukah, has urged Nigerians to stop identifying him as Hausa, clarifying his ethnic background during a public event.

Speaking on Saturday at the 16th convocation ceremony of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) in Igbariam, where he was installed as Chancellor, Kukah stated that he hails from Anchuna in the Ikulu Chiefdom of Zangon Kataf Local Government Area, Kaduna State. “I am a typical Nigerian, but not a Hausa man by origin,” he said, while also commending Anambra State’s commitment to education and encouraging graduates to uphold strong character.

According to a report by PUNCH, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, who formally invested Kukah as Chancellor, described him as a figure whose “wisdom, experience, and moral leadership” would enhance the university’s vision.

During the ceremony, Soludo announced a ₦4 million cash award for the overall best graduating student, Somtochukwu Augustus Ume of the Economics Department, who graduated with a CGPA of 4.85. He also awarded scholarships to 37 first-class graduates to support their postgraduate studies.

The governor further urged the institution to focus on producing “problem-solvers rather than mere enumerators,” while advising graduands to become “beacons of hope, disruptive thinkers, and agents of change.”