Despite protests, UniAbuja confirms appointment of Maikudi as VC

By Uche Bibilari

The Governing Council of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) has approved the appointment of Prof. Aisha Maikudi as the 7th substantive Vice-chancellor of the university despite protests that have trailed the move.

The Acting Director, Information and University Relations, UniAbuja, Dr Habib Yakoob said the governing council lee by Air Vice Marshal Saddiq Kaita (Rtd) approved the appointment of Prof. Maikudi on Tuesday in Abuja.

Yakoob said that the appointment was announced during the 77th Extraordinary meeting of the council on Dec. 31.

He said that the appointment takes effect from Jan. 1, 2025, adding that it was for a non renewable tenure of five years.

The university spokesperson said that Maikudi emerged the best among the 10 shortlisted candidates and interviewed by the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board of the university, in line with the extant regulations governing the process.

The spokesperson said that prior to Maikudi’s appointment as the substantive VC, she served in an acting capacity from July 5 to date.

He said that during the period Maikudi worked closely with the Governing Council to stabilise the university through a challenging crisis, demonstrating exceptional leadership and commitment.

He said Maikudi who was born on Jan. 31, 1983 was a distinguished scholar and professor of International Law at the University of Abuja.

He said her educational journey began at Sacred Heart School, Kaduna, where she obtained her First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) in 1993.

He said she proceeded to Queens College, Yaba, Lagos, where she earned her West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 1999.

Maikudi’s academic excellence 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.

Maikudi, after completing her legal education at the Nigerian Law School from 2006 to 2007, pursued and had a PhD in International Law from the University of Abuja in 2015.

The new vice chancellor however, joined the University of Abuja as a Lecturer II on Sept. 4, 2008 and rose through the ranks to become a professor in 2021.

He said Maikudi broke barriers as the first female Head of Department in 2013, the first female Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law in 2018, and the pioneer Director of the University of Abuja International Centre in 2019.

She also served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), where she was instrumental in enhancing academic standards and promoting a culture of excellence at the University.

He said as an innovator in her field, she introduced the ‘United Nations Law’ course at the University of Abuja in 2019, backed by extensive research and numerous publications in academic journals and book chapters.

“She is also highly experienced in supervising theses and dissertations, contributing to the growth of legal scholarship.

“Maikudi has represented her university and country at numerous national and international conferences, workshops, and training sessions across the UK, US, South Africa, Germany, Italy, China, Ghana, and Egypt.

She has presented papers at many of these events, further solidifying her global reputation as an academic leader.

The new Vice-Chancellor is an active member of several professional organisations, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Law Teachers Association (NLTA), International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and Nigerian Society of International Law.

He said that her tenure promised a new era of progress and transformation for the University of Abuja.

Recall that some UniAbuja Professors recently protested the move to appoint Maikudi as the substantive vice-chancellor of the institution.

The Professors had alleged foul play in the process of her selection while accusing the governing council of attempting to impose her on the institution.

Buy Yakoob had insisted llthat Maikudi was fully qualified and competent to assume the role.

“Over the past six months, she has ably discharged her responsibilities as acting vice-chancellor.

“In fact, her remarkable overall accomplishment in the five months she has held forth has continued to attract widespread applause and commendation within the university and beyond.

“Efforts to unjustly malign her candidacy are baseless, unwarranted, and appear calculated to create unnecessary tension and distract the University Council from its mandate,” he said.

He said that the University remained confident in the Council’s commitment to conducting a transparent, fair, and merit-based selection process in strict adherence to the University’s Act and other relevant statutes.

The university spokesman said that the Council had meticulously structured the process to ensure the emergence of the most competent and visionary leader to steer the institution toward greater achievements.

According to him, the institution will continue to uphold its mission of providing quality education and fostering innovation.

He called on all stakeholders to allow the selection process to proceed without undue interference or politicisation.

“The process will be concluded with the utmost integrity and in the best interests of the University,” it said.

On the proposed Senate meeting, Yakoob said it was true a meeting was initially scheduled to address the issue of two senate members who walked out of the Joint Council/Senate Selection Board meeting regarding the selection criteria.

He said that no such meeting took place, adding that the meeting was postponed to allow for alternative avenues of amicable resolution.

Yakoob, while clarifying on the claims of protest by some professors, said the university respected the right of staff to peaceful expression.

He debunked allegations of coercion or confrontation during the supposed Senate meeting, as no such meeting occurred. (NAN)