The Vice-Chancellors (VCs) of ABU are the principal academic and administrative officers of the University. They chair the Council of ABU, the General Board of the Faculties, and the Finance Committee of the Council. In this article, I will share with you the list of all 14 Ahmadu Bello University, ABU Zaria Vice Chancellors from the founding date of ABU till date (2022).
In the system of a Nigerian university, the vice–chancellor is the person next in rank below the chancellor, who acts as the chancellor’s deputy or substitute. In a recommending way, Vice Chancellor should be written as Vice-Chancellor.
Since Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria was founded on 4th October 1962, seven (7) people and fourteen (14) people have been elected to serve as the post of Chancellor and Vice Chancellor respectively.
Read this also: list of top 150 notable alumni of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
Now, the list and more important information about all 14 ABU Zaria Vice Chancellors are discussed below step by step.
List of all 14 ABU Zaria Vice Chancellors from 1962 to 2021
Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Vice-Chancellors from the founding year of ABU (1962) till date (2021) are listed and explained below:
List of all 14 ABU Zaria Vice Chancellors? If that is your question, then continue reading for an answer.
1. Professor Norman Alexander
Professor Norman Alexander was the first Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria. He was a Physicist who was in the establishment of ABU.
Alexander was born in Mangapiko, New Zealand, one of eight children of second-generation immigrant farmers from England, Scotland, and Denmark.
Professor Norman Alexander was a Physicist and he served as the Vice-Chancellor post of ABU from the year 1961–1966.
Norman Alexander was number one on the list of all of the 14 people who had been appointed to the position of Vice Chancellors of ABU Zaria.
2 . Professor Ishaya Audu
While Ishaya Audu was lecturing in Internal Medicine at the University of Lagos in 1962, he was promoted to the position of Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University in 1966.
Professor Ishaya Audu was appointed as the first indigenous Vice-chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1966 and served till 1975.
He had also been the personal Physician of Sir Ahmadu Bello University.
Professor Ishaya Audu was a renowned Physician, outstanding Diplomat, and famous Academician who served as the second vice-chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Minister of External Affairs (Foreign Minister), and Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Nations.
Meanwhile. Ishaya Audu was born on March 1, 1927, in Anchau, a village near Zaria, Kaduna State. He was initially educated at St. Bartholomew’s School in Wusasa, then he moved to Yaba Higher College in Lagos and then to University College, Ibadan (now, University of Ibadan) in 1948.
3 . Professor Iya Abubakar
In 1975, he was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University and he rolled till 1978.
Professor Abubakar was born on 14 December 1934. He was educated at Barewa College, University College Ibadan (later became the University of Ibadan), and earned a Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge.
He worked as a visiting Professor at the University of Michigan from 1965–1966 before being appointed as Professor of Mathematics at Ahmadu Bello University at the age of 28, in 1967.
He held the VC position at ABU until 1975, as well as a visiting professorship at the City University of New York from 1971 to 1972.
4 . Professor Oladipo Akikugbe
Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe was born in the Ondo capital of Ondo State in South Western Nigeria on 17th July 1933. His father was a chemist and druggist who belongs to an impressive family tree in Ondo traceable and connected in some distant past to the marble-rich clan of Igbeti in Oyo State.
Professor Akinkugbe grew up in a Christian home, his father being a people’s warder at St. Stephen’s church and a synod delegate for several years.
The regular routine of school, choir practice, Sunday’s Devotional Worship, Sunday school, evening service, and other such engagements, left him with little time for frivolities after school.
Prof. Akinkugbe was a Medical Doctor and he served from 1978–1979 as the position of 4th Vice-Chancellor of ABU Zaria.
As a matter of fact, Prof Akinkugbe is the most successful medical doctor among all medical doctors in Nigeria:
Hence, some notable achievements of Prof. Akinkugbe who was one of the 14 Vice Chancellors of ABU Zaria that we’re having on the list are shown below:
- The recipient of the National Honour of Cote De Voire
- In Nigeria, Professor Akinkugbe was the Foundation Chairman of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board [JAMB]
- Principal and Foundation Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin
- Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria
- Chairman Planning Committee of Ondo State University
- Chairman Planning Committee of the University of Abuja
- Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Port Harcourt.
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5. Professor Ango Abdullahi
Professor Ango Abdullahi is a distinguished Professor of Agriculture, a respected elder statesman, the convener of the Northern Elders Forum, and former Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
He was elected as a member representing Zaria’s northwest constituency, Kaduna State; former commissioner for economic planning, north-central state, 1973 – 1975.
In the same vein, he was a Director of Agricultural Research at Ahmadu Bello University from 1977 – 1979, Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 1979, and later became Vice-Chancellor of ABU Zaria from 1979 – 1986.
6. Professor Adamu N. Muhammad, Entomologist, 1986–1991
Professor Adamu Nayaya Muhammad was an Entomologist and a renowned veterinary Parasitologist, scholar, and university administrator who is the first Northern Nigerian Specialist in Parasitology.
He was appointed as the 6th Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria from 1986–1991, and VC of the University of Calabar from 1981-1986.
Meanwhile, Professor Adamu Nayaya Muhammad was born on February 3rd, 1935 in Jos, Plateau State.
He began his educational journey at the Elementary School, Jos, from 1942-1947, and later at Central School, Panshin, in 1948.
Professor Adamu Nayaya Muhammad acquired his secondary education at Keffi Secondary School in the old Kaduna state from 1949-1954, and at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science, and Technology, Zaria, from 1955-1958.
7. Professor Daniel Saror
Prof Daniel Soror, is a Veterinary Surgeon, University administrator, teacher, politician, and 7th Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, etc.
He was born on October 9 in Zaki Biam, Benue State.
He was educated at Gindiri Boys Secondary School, Plateau State, from 1957-1961; Gindiri Higher School, from 1962-1963; Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA, in 1965; Kansas State University, from 1967 to 1970; University of Minnesota, USA, 1972-1973 and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Prof Daniel Saror was appointed as lecturer 11 of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1970; dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, from 1983-1987 and 7th Vice-chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, from 1991-1995.
8 . Major-General Mamman Kontagora
Major-General Mamman Kontagora (Rtd), popularly known by his friends as Doki meant as a house in the Hausa language in apparent acknowledgment of his reputation for hard work. He was a former army general, renowned Administrator, and major player during Nigeria’s decades of military rule.
Major-General Mamman has tagged “Dokin Karfe” a Hausa metaphor for integrity was among the first intake of officers when the Nigerian Defense Academy opened in 1964. Later holding several key positions in the country among which was the challenging job of Sole Administrator at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria.
He was the 8th Vice-Chancellor of ABU and ruled Ahmadu Bello University Zaria from 1995–1998.
9 . Professor Abdullahi Mahadi
He attended Mubi Teachers’ College for his secondary education and the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he bagged a Bachelor’s degree in History and subsequently MSc and Ph.D. in the same field.
He began his teaching career at Gadamayo Primary School, Gwoza, in 1967 as an Assistant Headmaster. He was appointed Headmaster, of Hambagda Primary School in 1968 and Assistant Education Officer by the North-Eastern Government in 1971.
Professor Abdullahi Mahadi, was a renowned Historian, an accomplished educationist and who had served as Vice-Chancellor of three different Universities; 9th VC of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (1999-2004), Gombe state university, and Gombe state university of science and technology.
He is also a former Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU).
Abdullahi Mahadi was from Gwoza, Borno State. He was born in December I945. He started his education at Warrabe Primary School. He went on to attend Gwoza Centthe School, Government Craft School, and Maiduguri.
10 . Professor Shehu Usman Abdullahi
Professor Shehu Usman Abdullahi was a Veteran and the 10th Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria from 2004 to 2009, a former Provost of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), and Current pro-chancellor of Kaduna state university.
Prof Shehu Usman Abdullahi had his early education at Alhudahuda College, Zaria between 1964 –1968 and obtained his Higher School Certificate from Barewa College, Zaria in 1970.
He obtained a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1976 and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from the University of Minnesota, USA in 1982.
11. Professor Jarlath Udoudo Umoh
Jarlath Udoudo Umoh is a professor of Veterinary medicine at Ahmadu Bello University.
He is a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science, elected into the Academy’s Fellowship at its Annual General Meeting held in January 2015. He was the 11th Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University from May 2009 to December 2009.
Professor Umoh worked at Sokoto Veterinary Centre under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme after his graduation with DVM in 1974.
He later joined the services of Ahmadu Bello University in August 1975 as an assistant lecturer in the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine and rose through the ranks to become a Professor in 1989.
Professor Jariath Umoh was involved in the administration both at the Faculty and University levels while at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Some of the positions of responsibility that Professor Jariath Umoh held include:
- Head of Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine 1984-1986, 1989-1996, and 2000-2004
- Deputy Dean 1991-1992
- Dean of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine 1993-1998
- Dean of Postgraduate School 2004-2007; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) 2007-2009
- Acting Vice-Chancellor of ABU Zaria from May 2009 to December 2009.
He had taught several public health and preventive medicine courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He has supervised over 113 postgraduate students and authored or co-authored over 260 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Professor Jariath Umoh served as an external examiner for undergraduate and postgraduate programs at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Maiduguri, University of Ibadan, Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, the University of Abuja and the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
He spent one of his sabbatical leaves teaching in the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture, Makurdi from April 2010 to March 2011.
Professor Jariath Umoh was a Visiting Professor at the Faculty of the Veterinary Medicine University of Abuja and the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
12 . Professor Aliyu Mohammed
Professor Aliyu Mohammed was a Linguist and a 12th Vice-Chancellor of ABU Zaria from 2009 to 2010.
13 . Professor Abdullahi Mustapha
Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha was on born 1st February 1948. He is a Nigerian Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Indeed, he succeeded to be elected by Professor Ibrahim Garba as the VC of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria from 2010–2015.
Professor Mustapha began his academic career in 1974 as a pupil pharmacist at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital.
In 1982, he rose to the position of Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry in the department of pharmacy, and in 1993, he became a full Professor of Medicinal Chemistry.
In 2010, he was appointed as the substantive Vice Chancellor of ABU and prior to this appointment, he served as the VC of Umaru Musa Yar’adua University.
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14 . Professor Ibrahim Garba
Professor Ibrahim Garba is a renowned Nigerian Professor of Geology and the 14th Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He is a Professor of Medicinal chemistry.
He was born on February 25, 1957, in Riruwai, Doguwa local government area of Kano state. Professor Garba had his first degree (B.Sc. in Geology) in 1980 and a second degree (M.Sc. in Mineral Exploration) in 1985 at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
It’s is recorded that while he serving as the 14th Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, he recorded several tremendous achievements which include splitting the old Faculty of Science into faculties of physical science and life sciences.
The former houses departments of Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Geology. With the unbundling of Biology, departments of Zoology, Botany, Biochemistry, and Microbiology were produced.
He also created the departments of Communication Engineering, Automotive Engineering, and Mechatronics Engineering as well as moved the Textile Science and Technology from the old Faculty of Science to the Faculty of Engineering.
Conclusion
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