Amid controversy, the Governing Council of the University of Abuja, under the chairmanship of Air Vice-Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (Rtd), has approved the appointment of Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi as the 7th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the university.
The appointment was announced during the 77th Extraordinary Meeting of the Council on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
The appointment takes effect from January 1, 2025, and is for a non-renewable tenure of five years, according to a statement by the Acting Director of Information and University Relations, Dr. Habib Yakoob, made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to the statement, Maikudi emerged as the best candidate among 10 shortlisted individuals interviewed by the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board of the university, in line with the regulations governing the process.
Before her appointment as 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 stabilize the university amid a challenging crisis, demonstrating exceptional leadership and commitment.
Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor for the University of Abuja took a new turn on Tuesday as external members of the Governing Council boycotted a meeting convened by the Chairman, Air Vice-Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (Rtd).
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Kaita, rumored to have an anointed candidate for the position, called the council meeting late Monday to appoint a substantive Vice-Chancellor at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
However, a source close to the university revealed that external members were unaware of the chairman’s decision, as he failed to produce an agenda before the meeting.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, stated that the law governing the selection and appointment of a Vice-Chancellor was clear and that the chairman was not adhering to due process.
According to the source, the law stipulates that unless the Chairman, two council members who are not Senate members, and two representatives of the Senate who are not council members are present, any interview conducted for selecting a Vice-Chancellor is null and void.
“There is no provision for just one Senate representative or four members. The issue of quorum does not arise. All the members must be present,” the source stated.
The external council members who boycotted the meeting include Prof. Raphael Akinfeleye, representing the South-West; Mrs. Chisom Dorcas Obih, representing the South-East; and Alhaji Sabo Bappayo Ahmed, representing the North-East.
Earlier, a group of 67 professors had stormed the Ministry of Education on Monday, submitting a protest letter to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, urging him to dissolve the council and initiate a fresh selection process in line with due process and the laws governing public universities.
The professors alleged that the chairman rejected over 27 internal applications and 60 external applications (87 in total) and invited only three candidates to favor his preferred choice, Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof. Aisha Maikudi, despite her alleged lack of qualifications.
They claimed the council was improperly constituted, with internal members handpicked by the immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Professor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, during a strike by the university’s Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chapter.
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The professors criticized the inclusion of representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education and a businesswoman on the council, arguing that these individuals lacked the expertise required to uphold quality assurance in higher education governance.
According to the petition, key criteria for the Vice-Chancellor position—such as a minimum of ten years of professorial experience—were allegedly disregarded in the advertisement for the post published in newspapers in August 2024. They added that the Acting Vice-Chancellor had only two years of experience as a professor, lacked scholarly visibility, and possessed weak academic credentials.
The aggrieved academics also called for the dissolution of the Governing Council and the establishment of a new body to oversee the selection process. They urged the Education Minister to nullify all decisions made by the current council, warning that failure to act would set a dangerous precedent for other universities.
“We have lost total faith and confidence in the Governing Council to be fair and just in producing the best and most qualified Vice-Chancellor for the university.
“Thus, we urge you to take immediate corrective action to restore the integrity of the process by dissolving the Governing Council, declaring their proceedings null and void, and reconstituting a new Governing Council to superintend a fresh and transparent process that will lead to the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor for the University of Abuja.
“Honorable Minister Sir, failure to address these concerns will have far-reaching consequences for the university and the higher education system in Nigeria, as other Governing Councils might emulate this unfortunate path,” the letter read.
Born on January 31, 1983, in Katsina State, Professor 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 earned her First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) in 1993. She proceeded to Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos, earning her West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 1999.
Maikudi’s academic excellence led her to the University of Reading, where she earned an LLB in 2004. She further specialized 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 earned a Ph.D. in International Law from the University of Abuja in 2015.
She joined the University of Abuja as a Lecturer II on September 4, 2008, rising through the ranks to become a professor in 2021.
Prof. 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.
An innovator in her field, she introduced the ‘United Nations Law’ course at the University of Abuja in 2019. Her extensive research and numerous publications in academic journals and book chapters underscore her academic contributions. She is highly experienced in supervising theses and dissertations, advancing legal scholarship.
Maikudi has represented her university and country at numerous national and international conferences, workshops, and training sessions in the UK, US, South Africa, Germany, Italy, China, Ghana, and Egypt. She has presented papers at many of these events, further cementing her global reputation as an academic leader.
The new Vice-Chancellor is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Law Teachers Association (NLTA), International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and Nigerian Society of International Law.
Her tenure promises a new era of progress and transformation for the University of Abuja.
