Acting Vice Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja, UNIABUJA), Prof. Lar Patricia Manko, has successfully resolved longstanding crises and introduced sweeping reforms within five months of her appointment by President Bola Tinubu.
In an exclusive interview with journalists in Abuja, the Professor of Microbiology detailed how she restored peace, legitimacy, and institutional morale to the embattled institution.
Appointed on February 6, 2025, amid controversy over the irregular appointment of her predecessor, Prof. Aisha Maikudi, Prof. Manko inherited a deeply fractured university. Maikudi, a 42-year-old Professor of International Law, served briefly as Acting Vice Chancellor from June 30, 2024, and substantive Vice Chancellor from January 1, 2025, until the federal government dissolved the university’s governing council, paving the way for Manko’s interim leadership.
Upon taking office, Prof. Manko faced a “toxic environment” with no handover notes, a demotivated workforce, and divisions among staff along religious, political, and opinion-based lines. Over 300 petitions on promotions and welfare, delayed staff promotions, dilapidated infrastructure, suppressed student activism, and over 200 fake admissions compounded the challenges.
**Swift Reforms and Reconciliation**
Prof. Manko adopted a hands-on approach to tackle these issues:
– **Restoring Unity**: She toured all 17 faculties to engage staff and students, identifying their concerns. Through dialogue, she reconciled warring factions within campus unions (ASUU, SSANU, NASU), ensuring peaceful working relationships and uninterrupted lectures.
– **Academic and Administrative Overhaul**: Appointing three senior professors as advisers on academics, administration, and research, she addressed appointment anomalies and cleared a backlog of promotions for at least 40 Professors and Associate Professors. A committee was set up to eliminate over 200 fake admissions.
– **Student Welfare**: Prof. Manko revived student activism by facilitating peaceful student union elections and relaunching the Student Affairs Directorate. A July 10 town hall meeting addressed student welfare concerns directly.
– **Infrastructure Boost**: With TETFUND support, she initiated repairs to classrooms, lecture halls, and hostel toilet facilities, including new boreholes and squatting-type toilets. Laboratories in biomedical sciences and engineering were equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
– **Smart Campus Initiative**: Partnering with NITDA and private tech firms, she launched the “Smart Campus Abuja” initiative, providing high-speed Wi-Fi across academic areas and hostels. Free in-campus bus shuttles, a mobile transport app, and new car parks were introduced, alongside CNG buses and tricycles donated through the Presidential Initiative on CNG.
**Transformative Achievements**
Prof. Manko’s leadership has led to improved lecture delivery, examination quality, and staff commitment. She secured MoUs with corporate bodies to develop hostels, research facilities, agricultural projects, and entrepreneurship hubs. Her focus on cutting-edge research aims to elevate the university’s global ranking.
Engaging with traditional authorities in nearby communities, she fostered harmony, while a thriving business environment was cultivated to ensure campus stability. Recent project commissions include the fibre-to-hostels initiative by the Minister of Communication and a CNG plant on campus.
**A Bright Future**
With a competent governing council appointed by President Tinubu and elected members, Prof. Manko believes Yakubu Gowon University is poised for transformation.
“We have restored legitimacy, morale, and purpose,” she said, pledging to sustain these gains for academic excellence, robust research, and global partnerships.
NAN
