Established 1993
The Diploma Section
For over thirty years, the Diploma Section has given students a genuine path from secondary school into full university study — grounded in Arabic language and Islamic scholarship.
How it began
Three decades of the Diploma Section
The Diploma Section was established at El-Kanemi College in 1993, on the suggestion of several professors keen to raise the College's academic standing. Professor Mu'ayyad al-Rashid played a leading role in getting it off the ground.
The programme runs two academic years. Admission requires a secondary certificate in Arabic language and Islamic studies, along with a personal interview and an admission examination.
Academically, the section originally followed the curricula and examinations of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, while remaining under El-Kanemi College's local administration and supervision. As part of later operational changes, that academic affiliation moved to the University of Maiduguri, where it remains today.
Who has led it
Section Heads since 1993
1993
Dr. Sulaiman Uthman al-Sudani
First section head, at founding
1993 – 2001
Doctor Zakariya jimoh
Helped consolidate the section's administrative and academic structure
2001 – 2003
Sheikh Imad Mahmud al-Rashid
2003 – late 2004
Professor Mahmud Asim al-Baghdadi
2005 – 2008
Dr. Al-Sha'ir Lanfana Abdul-Aziz
Later term
Doctor Zakariya jimoh
Returned to the headship in recognition of his experience
Why it exists
What the Diploma Section aims to do
Preparing scholars, not just graduates
Training students in Islamic and Arabic sciences to a standard that equips them to teach, research, and serve their communities.
A bridge to university study
Giving students who might otherwise have felt their prospects were limited a genuine path to continue at the university of their choice.
Strong Arabic language grounding
Teaching Arabic to the level needed to properly understand the Qur'an and Sunnah — and to study anywhere it's taught.
Research and preservation
Encouraging research in Islamic and Arabic sciences, and contributing to the preservation of Islamic scholarly heritage.
Three decades of impact
What the section has achieved
- Graduates have gone on to teach Arabic, Islamic studies, and general subjects in primary and secondary schools across the region — both private and government.
- The section has been a genuine second chance for students who doubted their own academic prospects, opening a path into full university study.
- Decades of research, translation, and publication work in Islamic and Arabic sciences.
Admission at a glance
Two years, three requirements
Duration
2 academic years
Certificate
Secondary certificate in Arabic & Islamic studies
Assessment
Personal interview and admission examination