FUL at a defining crossroads, why the next vice chancellor should emerge from within

BY YUSUF YISA OZI-ADAMU

The process for appointing a new Vice Chancellor for one of Nigeria’s fastest growing universities, the Federal University Lokoja, has begun. The institution, at this decisive moment in its history, must choose a leadership direction that reflects fairness, strengthens its internal structures, and restores confidence in its governance processes.

Over the years, the Federal University Lokoja has grown steadily, in spite of numerous administrative and operational challenges, some of which arose from leadership decisions influenced by interests outside the university. Since inception, the institution has never appointed a Vice Chancellor from within its own academic community. From Rafindadi, to Miri, and then Akinwumi, leadership has consistently been imported from outside, even when capable hands have existed internally. This pattern, if allowed to continue unchallenged, risks entrenching a perception that the university’s own scholars are unworthy of leading the institution they helped build.

As the university prepares for the final stage of the selection process, where 10 shortlisted professors, six internal and four external, will be interviewed, the imperative for neutrality, transparency, and fairness cannot be overstated. The Governing Council, the primary custodian of this responsibility, must demonstrate that merit, and not external pressure or inducement, will determine who becomes the next Vice Chancellor. Anything short of this would further erode trust in an appointment process already viewed with suspicion across the Nigerian university system.

Professors who have grown within the Federal University Lokoja possess an advantage that no external candidate can match, institutional memory. They understand the developmental trajectory of the university, its strengths, its systemic gaps, and the academic and community expectations that shape its operations. They also understand the sacrifices made by pioneer and current staff, who have laboured for years without seeing anyone among them rise to the apex office. To overlook them yet again would not only be demoralizing, it would also imply a silent vote of no confidence in their scholarly competence.

Beyond competence, this appointment represents an opportunity for the university to reclaim its autonomy. A Vice Chancellor appointed from within is more likely to be insulated from external political, ethnic, or institutional pressures. Such insulation is necessary at a time when university councils across the country struggle to exercise full independence in selection processes. Federal University Lokoja has a chance to set a new standard, by proving that the principles of merit and fairness are not merely recited, but practised.

The Governing Council must therefore resist any attempt to influence, manipulate, or predetermine the outcome of this appointment. Its decisions must reflect integrity and must be grounded in the fact that internal candidates have demonstrated long-term commitment to the institution. Similarly, university management must uphold a process that is free from internal machinations, favouritism, or subtle bias. The credibility of the process depends entirely on these two organs acting with courage and impartiality.

The world is watching. The university community is watching. Stakeholders across Kogi State and beyond are watching. The question before the Federal University Lokoja is simple, does the institution believe in the scholars it has produced, or does it see them as perpetually inferior to outsiders? The answer will be communicated clearly through the appointment that emerges.

The university stands at a crossroad. This is not merely an administrative decision, it is a declaration of what the Federal University Lokoja stands for. Will it continue a tradition that undermines its internal growth, or will it take a bold step towards strengthening institutional confidence and self-belief? The Governing Council has the responsibility to act with fairness, the management has a duty to maintain transparency, and both must uphold merit above all other considerations.

A Vice Chancellor from within the Federal University Lokoja is not a gesture, it is a logical, necessary, and just step for an institution seeking stability, growth, and credibility.

Ozi Adamu writes from Abuja, Nigeria.