By Muhammad M. Garba
Professor Yahya Zakari Abdullahi has been appointed by Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, as the new Vice Chancellor of Zamfara State University Talatan Mafara
A statement signed by the Special Adviser Directorate for Higher Education Hon. Abdullahi Muhammad Gurbin Bore, said the appointment takes effect from 11th February following the appointment of the former Vice-Chancellor as the VC Federal University Gusau (FUG).
Born fifty years ago, Prof. Yahya who hails from Gusau, holds a Ph.D. in Development Economics from Shiga University, Japan.
Prof. Yahya who has been in the University system for over 25 years now, has occupied several administrative and organisational positions which included Deputy Director, Directorate of Examination and Registration, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS); Head of Department, Economics, Federal University Gusau (FUG); Director, Division of General Studies, Federal University Gusau (FUG); Chairman, University Staff Disciplinary Committee, FUG; Chairman, Governing Council Committee on Staffing Structure, FUG; Team Leader, Federal University Gusau-Zamfara State Government Relations Committee, FUG; Chairman, Library Development Board, FUG; and Acting Vice-Chancellor, FUG. He was also the immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, FUG, among others.
Prof. Yahya was a consultant RTI/USAID, consultant World Bank/Fadama III Project, and consultant DFID/Women for Health (W4H); he is currently a member of Zamfara State Economic Management Team; Vice-Chairman, Zamfara Strategy and Development Committee; and Team Leader Zamfara State’s non-oil export agenda in the National Committee on Export Promotion (NCEP).
He is a member of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES) and the Japan Society for International Development (JASID).
He has more than 40 scholarly publications in his name and more than 80 administrative and organisational experiences to his credit. Prof. Yahya has mentored many younger colleagues and supervised more than 40 MSc. and 15 Ph.D. candidates.
Gov. Bello Matawalle, while congratulating the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, adviced him to discharge his noble duties diligently, promising that he will continue to support the university to meet the demands of new age.