JOSTUM Clears Promotion Backlog, Processes 233 Professorial Cases

The management of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JOSTUM), has cleared backlogs in staff promotion, with a total of 204 professorial promotions recorded between 2018 and 2025.

The university also has 29 additional professorial cases from 2026 currently undergoing the prima facie process, bringing the total number of professorial promotion cases to 233.

Speaking on staff promotion and career advancement, the vice chancellor, Prof. Isaac Itodo, said the development of its academic staff remained critical to strengthening teaching, research, supervision and mentorship, as well as the institution’s overall competitiveness.

The VC noted that a university could not compete effectively at national and international levels without a strong community of professors to provide academic leadership and drive research and innovation.

He said professors played key roles in mentoring younger academics, strengthening teaching and supervision, leading research programmes, attracting research collaborations and enhancing the institution’s intellectual reputation and visibility.

According to him, addressing the backlog of staff promotions was one of the priorities upon assuming office in 2023.

“When I assumed office in 2023, one of the first things I had to do was address the backlog of staff promotions.

“There were promotion cases that had accumulated over several years, from 2018 to 2022, and I considered it necessary to clear these backlogs and establish a process where eligible staff would no longer experience unnecessary delays in career progression.”

The figures showed that 76 professorial promotions involving Associate Professors and Professors were recorded between 2018 and 2021.

In 2022, 43 cases were recorded, while 24 cases were processed in 2023. The number rose to 55 in 2024, then fell to 6 in 2025. The figures amount to 204 professorial promotions between 2018 and 2025.

In addition, 29 cases from 2026 are currently undergoing the prima facie process, bringing the overall number of professorial promotion cases to 233.

He also stressed that promotion should not be viewed merely as an elevation in title but as recognition of sustained contributions to the university.

“For us, promotion is not merely about changing a title. It is about recognising years of commitment to teaching, research, supervision, mentorship and service to the university,” it said.

Itodo added that the promotion process was also designed to encourage greater commitment and productivity among academic staff.

“Our approach is also to encourage immense input in the academic sector. We want our academics to teach better, research more, publish, supervise effectively, mentor the next generation and contribute meaningfully to the growth and global visibility of JOSTUM,” he said.

He further reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that eligible staff were not subjected to unnecessary delays in their career progression.

“My commitment is to ensure that career progression is not unnecessarily delayed. When our staff grows, JOSTUM grows. When our academics excel, the institution gains greater capacity to compete nationally and internationally,” it said.