UNIAbuja appoints 41-year-old as first female VC

The Senate of the University of Abuja has appointed the youngest professor of Law in the institution, Aisha Maikudi, in acting capacity as vice-chancellor.

Maikudi, a professor of International Law, is the current Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics at the institution.

Her appointment followed her nomination at the valedictory Senate meeting held on Wednesday, according to a statement by the outgoing VC, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah.

He noted that Maikudi’s appointment was in an acting capacity, effective after his tenure as the vice-chancellor, pending the ratification by the governing council.

Na’Allah rounds off his tenure on June 30, 2024, after a five-year leadership at the institution.

In her acceptance speech, Maikudi expressed gratitude to members of the Senate for the confidence reposed in her.

She said, “I want to extend my deepest respect and appreciation to you all for the strong support and the unwavering commitment that you have accorded me.”

Maikudi was born on January 31, 1983. She attended Queens College, Lagos, where she obtained her West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

She then proceeded to the University of Reading, United Kingdom, graduating with an LLB in 2004 and an LLM from the London School of Economics & Political Science in 2005.

She bagged PhD in International Law in 2015 from the University of Abuja.

Maikudi joined the service of the University of Abuja on September 4, 2008, as Lecturer II and rose to the rank of professor in 2022.

She became the first female Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Law of the institution in 2018 and; later, the pioneer Director, University of Abuja International Centre in 2019.

Maikudi attended several national and international conferences in the UK, United States, South Africa, Germany, Italy, and Egypt, among others. She has also conducted several researches on United Nations Law and has written extensively.

She is a member of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Bar Association, Nigerian Law Teachers Association, and International Federation of Women Lawyers.