New Fed Varsity Wukari Vice Chancellor Prioritises Staff Welfare, Digital Skills

Governing Council of the Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, has appointed Prof. Benjamin Kefas as the substantive vice-chancellor of the institution.

The council also approved the appointment of Dr Temboge Andrew as the new university librarian.

The acting director, Information and Protocol Department of the university, Agya Ashu, disclosed this in a statement he issued yesterday.

After the handover ceremony in Abuja, Kefas pledged to strengthen the institution’s academic foundation, enhance staff welfare and drive digital transformation across university operations.

The new Vice-Chancellor, who has lectured at the university for four years, said his administration would prioritise the welfare of students and staff while consolidating the achievements of previous leaderships.

“I am not new to the university. I have been teaching here for the past four years. My style is going to be student and staff-focused. I want to strengthen the foundation built by the first, second and third vice-chancellors so that the structures on top of it will not crumble,” he said.

Ashu said the appointments were ratified during an emergency meeting of the Governing Council held on February 9, 2026, at the Secretariat of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities in Abuja.

According to the statement, the appointments followed the expiration of the five-year tenure of the outgoing vice-chancellor, Prof. Jude Sammani Rabo and the university librarian, Dr Isa Sidi Attahir.

Prof. Kefas assured that teaching schedules and academic activities would be properly managed, adding that laboratories, hostel facilities and learning environments would receive urgent attention.

“Our students must get what they need. Laboratories should be equipped. Hostel accommodation should also be improved. They should have freedom of learning, including continuous education for lecturers to bring new ideas into the university,” he added.

The vice-chancellor stressed the need for improved revenue generation, noting that adequate funding remained critical to the institution’s growth and sustainability.

He also promised to operate an open-door policy to foster communication between management, staff and students.

“What it means is that staff and students can approach me. I will still create time to be in the classroom with students so I can understand their needs. Making visits to staff and faculties will allow me to hear from them directly so we can jointly address the university’s challenges,” he said.

Kefas further pledged to expand digital learning and administrative processes in line with global best practices.

Responding to concerns about his reputation as a digital-driven administrator, he said efforts were underway to improve Information and Communication Technology skills among staff and students.

“Yes, I am ICT savvy. My goal is to ensure continuous education for staff and students, especially in computer-based programmes. I will assess their skill levels and group them accordingly to improve their ICT knowledge,” he said.

He, however, acknowledged potential challenges such as power outages and system failures, assuring that manual alternatives would be deployed when necessary.

“There might be times when systems fail or power supply is interrupted. Paper-based methods will serve as backup during downtime so academic activities are not disrupted,” he added.

Kefas also dismissed reports questioning his academic credentials, describing them as part of the public scrutiny that accompanies leadership positions.

“Records are always available. Anyone in doubt can verify them. My research works, publications and academic engagements are accessible, some online. I am a professor at the Federal University Wukari and have been here for four years,” he said.

In his remarks, the outgoing vice-chancellor, Rabo, described his tenure as memorable, citing expansion in academic programmes, infrastructure development and land acquisition.

He said the university grew from three faculties to 15 under his leadership.