ABU Appoints Prof. J.J. Maina as pioneer Director of new Directorate of Research and Innovation

The Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Kabiru Bala, has approved the appointment of Prof. Joy Joshua Maina as the pioneer Director of the newly established Directorate of Research and Innovation. 

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Similarly, the Vice-Chancellor approved the appointment of Dr. Mohammed Auwal Ibrahim of the Department of Biochemistry as the Directorate’s Deputy Director for Research Management. He will be responsible to the Director for the day-to-day operations of the Directorate.

Prof. Maina, who teaches at the Department of Architecture, was until the new appointment Deputy Director, Research and Innovation Unit, Directorate of Academic Planning and Monitoring (DAPM). 

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A letter conveying her appointment urged her to see herself as part and parcel of the University Management and be prepared to make sincerely inputs for the progress and development of the Directorate. 

The new Directorate has the mandate of providing direction, organisation and management of research and innovation related activities within the University. 

The University Senate had at its 525th (Regular) meeting held last year approved the upgrade of the Research and Innovation Unit to a Directorate on account of the critical role that research plays in the development of any society. 

The establishment of the Directorate was also in view of the fact that research has equally continued to exert increasing importance in the assessment of ranking and competitiveness of universities at the global scale. 

As cited as an example by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala, in his speech at the institution’s 43rd Convocation last month, research output (volume of publications) and research impact (number of citations) make up 60 percent of the total scores in Times Higher Education (THE) ranking criteria for universities. 

Also, there has been a steady rise in the number and value of research grants won by the University in addition to the several other innovation-related activities, all of which need to be managed efficiently and effectively. 

Each of the two appointments, effective from 5th February, 2024, is for a period of two years as contained in the two separate letters of appointment dated 5th February, 2024.

Both appointments are in recognition of the appointee’s administrative and academic leadership qualities and in the hope that they will continue to render these contributions for the upliftment of the Directorate and the University as a whole.  

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Public Affairs Directorate, 

Office of the Vice-Chancellor, 

Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 

Thursday, 8th February, 2024