The University of Jos has broken a 50-year-old barrier, appointing Professor Patricia Mamko Lar as its 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor, and the first woman ever to lead the institution.
It is a moment many women in academia have waited decades for, and on Thursday, November 12, 2026, it finally happened.
The announcement was made by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the 15th Governing Council, Senator Grace Folashade Bent, during a special council meeting.
In a statement issued by Emmanuel Madugu, Deputy Registrar, Information and Public Relations, the Council confirmed Lar’s appointment to succeed Professor Tanko Ishaya, whose tenure is coming to an end.
Presenting the appointment letter, Bent charged the incoming VC to stay focused as she takes on the biggest job in the university.
“Be focused,” Bent urged her.
And focus is exactly what Lar brings. Her rise to the top is not just a personal victory, it is a powerful signal to every girl in a lecture hall, every female lecturer fighting for visibility, and every woman told leadership is a man’s job.
From lecturer to professor, and now to Vice-Chancellor, Lar has climbed every rung. Now she sits at the very top of one of Nigeria’s foremost federal universities.
Her appointment joins a growing wave of women shattering ceilings across Nigerian universities, politics, business and public life. The message is getting louder: women are not just ready to lead, they are already leading.
As UNIJOS enters a new era, all eyes will be on Professor Lar to deliver, to inspire, and to open the door even wider for the women coming behind her.
