PLASU Appoints Two Female DVCs in Historic First

Plateau State University, Bokkos, has appointed two female Deputy Vice-Chancellors for the first time in its history, with Associate Professor Keziah Ayuba re-appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, and Associate Professor Martha Niri Choji appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic.

The appointments were approved at the 106th Special Meeting of Senate held on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor and Chairman of Senate, Prof. Shedrack Best. The university's Public Relations Officer, Masara Kim, disclosed this in a statement made available to The PUNCH in Jos, the state capital, on Friday.

According to the statement, Associate Professor Ayuba was re-appointed for a second term of two years after completing her first two-year term, while Dr Choji was appointed for the first time to replace Prof. Pyefa Galadima, who served two terms as DVC Academic from 2022. The appointments followed nominations by the Vice-Chancellor in accordance with Section 5 of the First Schedule of the University Law and were unanimously approved by Senate.

With this development, PLASU joins the University of Ibadan, which in November 2021 became the first Nigerian university to elect two female DVCs simultaneously, as the second university in the country to have two female Deputy Vice-Chancellors at the same time. The historic nature of the appointments underscores the growing recognition of women's capacity to occupy senior leadership positions in Nigeria's tertiary education sector, a space that has historically been dominated by men.

Associate Professor Ayuba is no stranger to leadership at PLASU. She made history in 2024 as the first female Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the university and the second DVC for Administration overall. Since then, she has represented the Vice-Chancellor at numerous official functions and played key roles in advancing the university's research agenda, including its agricultural initiatives. Her re-appointment for a second term is a testament to the confidence the university's leadership has in her ability to deliver.

Associate Professor Choji brings a wealth of academic and administrative experience to her new role. She has served as Head of the Mathematics Department, Head of the Remedial Science Programme and Head of the newly established Department of Statistics. Her research interests span econometrics, panel data analysis and purchasing power parity theory, with publications in reputable international journals. Her elevation to the position of DVC Academic reflects her distinguished scholarly record and her capacity to provide academic leadership.

Speaking on the appointments, Prof. Best said the nominations reflected his administration's commitment to equity, inclusivity and merit. He reiterated his commitment to quality service delivery and expressed confidence in the capacity of the new DVCs to drive excellence, charging them to immediately settle into their new roles. "We have a lot to catch up on. We are due for accreditation of 11 programmes and are also commencing the new academic session," Best said. He also appreciated the outgoing DVC Academic, Prof. Moses Galadima, for his selfless service to the university, citing his work on the accreditation of academic programmes, the digitisation of transcripts, and the transition from a culture of non-payment of fees by students to prompt payments.

Responding on behalf of her colleague, Ayuba thanked the Senate and the Vice-Chancellor for the opportunity to serve and pledged to diligently support the vision of the Prof. Best administration. "Together as a team, all things are possible," she said. The appointments mark a defining moment for PLASU, which has been positioning itself as a centre of academic excellence and innovation in Nigeria's North Central region. With two accomplished female scholars now at the helm of the university's academic and administrative affairs, the institution has sent a powerful message about the value of women's leadership in higher education. As PLASU prepares for the accreditation of 11 programmes and the commencement of a new academic session, the new DVCs will be central to steering the university through a demanding period of growth and consolidation.