By Chidimma C. Okeke
Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Mr Chris Maiyaki, has taken over the affairs of the commission pending the appointment of a substantive ES.
The outgoing Professor Abubakar Rasheed handed over to Maiyaki Friday at a small event with Former ES of the commission Prof Julius Okojie, members of the directors of the commission and other special guests, including former Vice Chancellors of Universities.
Professor Rasheed is returning to Bayero University, Kano, where he is to resume as a lecturer on July 1, 2023.
Maiayaki was appointed Deputy Executive Secretary (DES), Administration, by NUC Board in 2020.
Before then, he was the Director, Executive Secretary’s Office (DESO), where he was deployed in 2017 by Professor Rasheed, where he ran his immediate office as well as the NUC Board Secretariat.
Mr. Maiyaki graduated, with a B.Sc (Hons) degree in International Relations from the famous Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State, Master of Arts (M.A degree) in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Jos, Plateau State and has received several trainings (within and outside Nigeria) which pertained to International Affairs and Educational Planning, Accreditation and Quality Assurance, Partnerships and Collaboration, Procurement & project Management, Computer Application in Human Resource Management, all tailored around the specifics of Higher Education Management, Regulation and Knowledge diplomacy, among others.
He began his public service career spanning well over 30 years ago, as a young Administrative Officer, precisely in 1990 with the Policy &Administrative arm of the Cabinet office located in the Governor’s office in Jos, Plateau State.
He, however, moved to the National Universities Commission on inter-service transfer in 1993, as Personnel/ Administrative Officer I, in 1993, where on assumption of duty was appointed the Administrative Secretary for the World Bank Project Implementation Unit based in the NUC, which oversaw the execution of the USD120m Credit facility for twenty participating federal universities.
At the expiration of the project which was adjudged to be one of the best administered in the World Bank Education portfolio in Nigeria, Mr. Maiyaki was redeployed from 1996, to work in various arms of the Commission where he fulfilled various secondary and primary leadership function positions, becoming Deputy Director Special Duties &Protocol and Chief of Staff to the Executive Secretary between November 2009 to October 2014, culminating to his promotion in October 2014, to the rank of a Substantive Director.