By our Reporter
The University of Abuja has officially announced Professor Aisha Maikudi as its new Vice-Chancellor.
The appointment was confirmed in a statement released on Tuesday by Habib Yakoob, the acting Director of Public Affairs of the institution.
Prof. Maikudi has been serving as the acting Vice-Chancellor since July 2024, following the end of Professor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah’s tenure.
Her appointment takes effect from January 1, 2025, and it is for a non-renewable tenure of five years.
According to the statement, Professor Maikudi emerged as the preferred among the ten shortlisted candidates interviewed by the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board of the University, in line with the extant regulations governing the process.
The statement added that before she was appointed the substantive vice-chancellor, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi served in an acting capacity from July 5, 2024.
“During this period, she worked closely with the Governing Council to stabilise the University through a challenging crisis, demonstrating exceptional leadership and commitment,” the statement read.
Born on 31st January 1983 in Katsina State, Maikudi is a distinguished scholar and professor of International Law at the University of Abuja.
Her educational journey began at Sacred Heart School, Kaduna, where she obtained her First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) in 1993. She proceeded to Queens College, Yaba, Lagos, earning her West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 1999.Maikudi’s academic journey took her to the University of Reading, where she earned an LLB in 2004. She further specialised in Public International Law, obtaining an LLM from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2005. After completing her legal education at the Nigerian Law School (2006–2007), she pursued and had a PhD in International Law from the University of Abuja in 2015.She joined the University of Abuja as a Lecturer II on 4th September 2008 and rose through the ranks to become a professor in 2021.
Her appointment as VC has been met with resistance from some professors, who raised the alarm that the selection process was manipulated to favour her.
They also alleged that the Chairman of the Governing Council was rushing to conclude the selection process during the Christmas and New Year break, without giving adequate time for proper evaluation.
The external members of the Governing Council on Tuesday boycotted a scheduled meeting convened by the Council Chairman, Air Vice Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (retd) amid the controversy surrounding the appointment process of the new substantive VC for the school.
