A Veteran Professor of history, Abdullahi Musa Ashafa, has been appointed as Acting Vice Chancellor of Kaduna State University (KASU).
A statement by the University’s Public Relations Officer, Adamu Nuhu Bargo, said the 5th Governing Council of the University, led by Mal. Husaini Adamu Dikko, having considered the professor most suitable for the institution’s top job, approved his appointment as the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University, following the expiration of Prof. Yohanna Tella’s brief tenure as the Institution’s acting Vice Chancellor.
Professor Tella took over administration of the University on acting capacity following the expiration of the five year term of Professor Muhammad Tanko
A letter to this effect, dated 13th June 2022 & signed by the Hon Commissioner for Education in the state which was sighted by Education Monitor read: “I have been directed by the Visitor to the University and the Governor of Kaduna State to appoint you as the Ag VC of KASU….with effect from Tuesday 14 June 2022 & you are expected to take over from Prof Yohanna Tela”.
Professor Abdullahi Musa Ashafa was born Friday 29th September, 1967 in Ashafa village of Zangon Kataf LGA of Kaduna State. He recieved his First School Leaving Certificate from LEA Primary School Tashan Daji, Kamuru-Ikulu and attended Government Secondary School, Kachia where he obtained his WASC/GCE O’Level that qualified him entry into the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria and later moved to the School of General Studies, Bayero University, Kano. He obtained B.A Special Honours degree in History in BUK (1991), M.A History (1994) and PhD Diplomatic History from the University of Jos (2002).
Immediately after the completion of the National Service at the University of Jos, Ashafa began his academic career as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of History, Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) where became the first Graduate Assistant in the history of the NDA to have completed a PhD.
He was seconded to the Presidency the education icon served as Chief Administrative Officer in the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Relations in Abuja between 2000and 2002.
He was appointed Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).
He later joined the Kaduna State University (KASU) as a Senior Lecturer, 2005. He was promoted as Associate Professor in 2008 and was among the first set of academic staff to have risen through promotion to the rank of Professor in 2011.
As a student way back, he was a recipient of the award of the best graduating student in History at the Government Secondary School, Kachia (1986) and also the winner of the Ibrahim El-Tayib Prize for the Best Graduating Student in History, Bayero University, Kano (1991).
Professor AM Ashafa, a Professor of Diplomatic History, was until this latest appointment, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic in the institution, the statement said.
After joining the services of KASU amongst the pioneer staff, he served as the pioneer Head, Department of History, Deputy Dean and later Dean, Faculty of Arts as well as the Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies on two occasions.
The statement also affirmed Ashafa a one time Treasurer of the Committee of Deans of Postgraduate Schools of Nigerian Universities (2010-2012) and Vice President of the North West Zone of the Historical Society of Nigeria, among others.
In summary, Prof. Ashafa was the pioneer Head of History Department (August, 2005-April, 2010) and Deputy Dean, Faculty of Arts (September 2005-April, 2010). He later became the Dean, Faculty of Arts in the same University (April, 2010-May, 2012). He was appointed the pioneer Dean of Postgraduate School, Kaduna State University (2008-June, 2012) and reappointed between January 2017-June 2018. He was the immediate past Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Kaduna State University. He has served in numerous committees within the university in addition to his participation in many extra-curricular activities.
Ashafa was a Visiting Professor at Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigerian Defence Academy and the Nigerian Police Academy, Wudil among others. In addition, he equally works for peace building and engages in development work, especially with the Kaduna-based Civil Society Organization, the Center for Development Research and Advocacy (CDRA) and served as a Consultant to many international development organizations. He represents the North West Zone as a Forum Member of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). He is the Head o Secretariat of the Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP), a strategic development platform working towards salvaging the North through ideas.
Apart from postgraduate and undergraduate teaching experience and supervision, Ashafa has to his credit over 70 publications in peer reviewed journals of national and international repute. He presented many academic papers in local and international conferences, seminars, symposium and workshop. He has authored and edited several books among which include: The Challenges of Nigeria at 50: Essays in Honour of Prof. Abdullahi Mahadi; Urbanization and Infrastructure in Nigeria since 20th Century: Essays in Honour of Prof. Ezzeldin Abdurahman; The Nigerian Military since the Return of Democracy: Essays in Honour of Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai among others. He served and is still serving as an External Examiner at the postgraduate level in many Universities and institutions in Nigeria where he examined over 150 M.A and PhD students and had supervised many in that category.
Unlike some renowned academics, Ashafa has also assessed over twenty (20) academics from many Universities in Nigeria for the promotion to the Professorial cadre and had examined senior Nigerian citizens for the award of Member of the National Institute (mni) at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS) Kuru-Jos. He was the immediate past Vice President, North-West of the Historical Society of Nigeria and recipient of the Fellow, Historical Society of Nigeria (FHSN). He is a member and Fellow of the Association of African Historians (FAAH) and Global Research and Development Services (GRDS) respectively. He is proudly polygamous.