UNIJOS appoints first female vice-chancellor, Patricia Lar

The University of Jos (UNIJOS), Jos, Plateau State, has appointed Professor Patricia Lar as its 11th substantive vice-chancellor, making her the first woman to be appointed to the position since the institution was established more than five decades ago.

The appointment was announced on Thursday by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Grace Bent, during a special meeting of the university’s 15th Governing Council.

She succeeds Professor Tanko Ishaya, whose tenure ends this month.

While presenting the appointment letter, Ms Bent urged the incoming vice-chancellor to remain focused and committed to leading the institution.

Professor Lar is a medical microbiologist who joined the University of Jos as a graduate assistant in 1987. She rose through the academic ranks and was appointed Professor of Medical Microbiology in 2015.

She obtained her degrees from Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Lagos. She completed postdoctoral training at the University of Maryland, USA, under the NIH-Fogarty Fellowship Programme.

Her research focuses on infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, malaria and antimicrobial resistance. She has published more than 40 scholarly works.

Professor Lar has held several administrative positions at the University of Jos, including Head of the Department of Microbiology and Director of Linkages and Collaborations. She also served as Secretary-General of the West African Research and Innovation Management Association (WARIMA).

Before her appointment, she served as Acting Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja.

Challenges ahead

Her appointment comes amid ongoing questions about infrastructure, student welfare and the management of its academic environment.

In an earlier report, PREMIUM TIMES reported that seven professors were vying for the Vice-Chancellor position. They were Professors Ikonne Ogaji, Victor Duga, Sati Fwatshak, Anthony Dakum, Patricia Lar, Bernard Matur and Simon Yiltok.

The candidates presented their visions for the institution during a stakeholders’ interaction organised by the university’s Advancement Office and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

At the meeting, former Vice-Chancellor of Karl Kumm University, Professor Nanven Gambo, challenged the candidates to explain how they would exercise authority and use their positions to advance the university.

The incoming Vice-Chancellor will also inherit concerns about the welfare of students with disabilities.

READ ALSO: ‘Reports such as yours could always put us on our toes,’ UNIJOS dean reacts to PREMIUM TIMES report

In a recent investigation, PREMIUM TIMES documented poor sanitation and inadequate accessibility facilities at Village Hostel, which accommodates students with disabilities. The report found that wheelchair users struggled to access bathrooms, while uneven pathways, overgrown bushes and other barriers restricted independent movement around the hostel.

After the report’s publication, the Dean of Student Affairs, Professor Chris Piwuna, acknowledged that the hostel needed further improvements. He said the university had undertaken some repairs but admitted that more needed to be done.

“Reports such as yours could always put us on our toes,” he told PREMIUM TIMES.

The university management has yet to provide a timeline for addressing the accessibility problems documented in the investigation.

Professor Lar’s appointment marks a historic change in the university’s leadership. Her administration will be expected to address these longstanding concerns while overseeing the institution’s academic and administrative development.