The Governing Council of the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, has approved the appointment of Professor Muhammad Zaiyan Umar as the new Vice-Chancellor of the institution.
Chairman of the council, Professor Funmi Togonu-Bickersteth, made the announcement at the end of the council’s 25th meeting held on Thursday, November 24, 2022 at the Council Chamber in the Senate Building, University Main Campus, Birnin Kebbi.
The text of the press briefing is as follows:
“Protocols. Good afternoon.
“It is my pleasure to welcome you to the press briefing on the recent development witnessed in the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi (FUBK). As you may be aware, the tenure of our Vice Chancellor ends on December 3, 2022.
“The Governing Council, at its 25th meeting held from Monday, 21st to Thursday, 25th November, 2022, approved the appointment of Prof. Muhammad Zaiyan Umar as the new Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi.
“This was sequel to the advertisement in the Daily Trust and The Punch newspapers of Saturday, 2nd July, 2022 and subsequent interview by the Governing Council.
“Until his appointment, he was the immediate past Deputy Vice Chancellor, Sokoto State University, Sokoto.
BRIEF PROFILE OF THE NEW VICE CHANCELLOR
“Muhammad Zaiyan Umar, a Professor of Political Science at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), is the newly appointed Vice Chancellor, Federal University Birnin Kebbi. He comes with over three (3) decades of professional and administrative experience. He started his professional career at the UDUS as a Graduate Assistant in 1989 and became a Professor in 2009.
“The immediate past Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Sokoto State University, Sokoto, Prof. MZ Umar, also served as the University’s Ag. Director, TETFund’s Research and Development Centre of Excellence.
“He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Centre for Open and Distance Education (CODE) at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
“Prof. Umar was, at various times, the Ag. Head of Department of Political Science, Deputy Dean and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, as well as the Dean of Postgraduate School at UDUS.
“The new Vice Chancellor served as Resource Person to several organisations, including the Institute of Security Studies, Abuja; National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru, Jos; the Electoral Institute of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the House Committee on Marine Transport, National Assembly, Abuja.
“A Fulbright Fellow, Prof. Umar served at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, between 1988 and 1999.
“He served as an External Examiner and Assessor for promotion to Reader and Professor for various State and Federal Universities in Nigeria as well as the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa(CODESRIA), in Dakar, Senegal.
“He is a member of the Fulbright Alumni Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA) and Social Science Academy of Nigeria (SSAN).
“Prof. Umar was born on June 12 in 1963. He is married with children.
“Thank you for listening.”
