FG appoints Prof. Mathew Adamu acting VC University of Abuja

The Federal Government has appointed Professor Mathew Adamu, FCVSN, KSM, as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, recently renamed Yakubu Gowon University.

In a statement, the Acting Registrar and Secretary to Council, Mrs. Roseline O. Adakayi, announced that the appointment takes effect from Monday, August 11, 2025, for a three-month tenure.

He succeeds Professor Patricia Manko Lar, who assumed the role in February 2025 for a six-month acting term.

Adakayi praised Professor Lar for providing “purposeful leadership, fostering academic and administrative stability,” and initiating the process for selecting a substantive Vice-Chancellor. She said Professor Adamu will work closely with the Governing Council, chaired by Senator Dr. Olanrewaju Tejuoso, to conclude the appointment process in line with statutory provisions.

The university community, she added, “extends sincere gratitude to Professor Lar for her dedicated service, visionary leadership, and unwavering commitment to excellence,” while wishing Professor Adamu a successful transition period.

A Distinguished Academic Career
Professor Adamu is a highly respected veterinary scholar with 27 years’ experience spanning teaching, research, extension services, and academic leadership.

He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1998 and a Master of Science in 2006, both from the University of Maiduguri, before obtaining a PhD in Veterinary Surgery from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, in 2012.

A Fellow of the College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria, he was promoted to full professorship in 2019, specialising in Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology (Helminthology).

His career path includes early service as a Youth Corps Veterinarian and Corps Liaison Officer in Dan Musa, Katsina State, private practice in Minna, Niger State, and work at the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research in Kaduna.

In 2006, he joined the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (now Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University), rising from Lecturer II to full Professor.

At Makurdi, he held several key leadership roles, including Head of the Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology (2014–2018), Deputy Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine (2014–2016), Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (2018–2023), and Dean of the College from March 2023.

He also twice served as Acting Vice-Chancellor during transitional periods.

Professor Adamu has supervised numerous master’s and doctoral students and contributed to curriculum development for veterinary programmes in Nigeria.

His expertise has been sought in accreditation exercises for the National Universities Commission (NUC) and National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and his academic engagements have taken him to countries including the United States, Spain, South Africa, Lesotho, The Gambia, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire.

He has received multiple commendations for service, including from the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi.