By Mahdi Waziri Isa
The Federal Government has named Professor Mathew Adamu as the new Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja (now Yakubu Gowon University), effective Monday, August 11, 2025.
In a statement issued by the Acting Registrar and Secretary to Council, Roseline Adakayi, Adamu succeeds Professor Patricia Manko Lar, whose six-month acting tenure concluded after providing “purposeful leadership, fostering academic and administrative stability” and initiating the selection process for a substantive VC.
Adakayi stated that Adamu’s three-month mandate includes supporting the Governing Council, chaired by Senator Dr. Olanrewaju Tejuoso, in finalizing the appointment of a permanent Vice-Chancellor.
She extended gratitude to Professor Lar for her “dedicated service, visionary leadership, and unwavering commitment to excellence,” while wishing Adamu success in steering the university through this transition.
Professor Adamu, a renowned veterinary scholar, brings 27 years of expertise in teaching, research, and administration. He holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree (University of Maiduguri, 1998), an MSc (2006), and a PhD in Veterinary Surgery (University of Pretoria, 2012). A Fellow of the College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria, he became a full professor in 2019, specializing in Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology.
His career includes leadership roles such as Head, Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology (2014–2018), Deputy Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine (2014–2016), Director, Veterinary Teaching Hospital (2018–2023) and Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine (2023–present).
Adamu has supervised numerous postgraduate students, published over 50 scholarly works, and holds a patented anthelmintic invention (South African Patent No. 2014/0547). His accolades include a 2015 Bronze Medal for Best Thesis from the South African Association of Botanists.
An active member of professional bodies like the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association and President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Adamu has also served as an external examiner at universities in Nigeria and South Africa, contributed to NUC accreditation panels, and participated in curriculum development. His international collaborations span the U.S., Spain, and multiple African nations.
With prior experience as Acting VC at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Adamu is poised to provide steady leadership during UniAbuja’s transitional phase.