UI Appoints Mariam Zakariyah as First Female Bursar, Begins Five-Year Tenure

The Governing Council of the University of Ibadan has approved the appointment of Mrs Mariam Adetoun Zakariyah as the 10th and first female Bursar of the University.

The appointment was approved at the Council’s meeting held on Wednesday, 9 July 2026, with her five-year tenure commencing on 20 September 2026.

Mrs Zakariyah joined the Bursary Department of the University of Ibadan on 29 August 2000 as a Higher Executive Officer (Accounts) in the Loans and Advances Section.

She subsequently rose through the ranks, serving as a Finance Officer across various Faculties and the Postgraduate College before becoming Chief Accountant in the Treasury Office. She was appointed Deputy Bursar in the Bursary Department in 2019.

Throughout her career, the new Bursar has overseen financial operations across several faculties, institutes and departments, with responsibilities covering financial control, reporting and service delivery.

Her career progression has included the development and implementation of systems aimed at improving financial administration within the university.

She digitised the Receivable Unit through the introduction of an e-receipt system, which reduced paper use by 80 percent and helped block revenue leakages. She also coordinated the clearing of financial statement backlogs from 2016 to 2019 and institutionalised tax compliance, resulting in a reduction in regulatory queries.

Through proactive monitoring of the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), she ensured that staff salaries were paid within 48 hours of fund release.

She also worked on the NELFUND refund issue and facilitated the procurement of West Africa’s only JOEL JEM 1400 Flash Transmission Electron Microscope, a process that saved the University millions of naira.

Mrs Zakariyah has contributed to institutional decision-making at the University of Ibadan through her membership and representation on several committees, including:

• Bursary Management Committee

• University Finance Management Committee

• Postgraduate School Procurement Committee

• Finance Management Committee of the Board of the Postgraduate School

She has also participated in Council and management committees involved in financial governance and institutional decision-making, including:

• Budget Monitoring Committee of Council

• Finance and General-Purpose Committee of Council

• Council Sub-Committee on Audit Matters

• Final Accounts Stakeholders’ Meetings

The new Bursar was the Overall Best Graduating Student in Accountancy at The Polytechnic Ibadan in 1998.

She was also the recipient of the Best Graduating Female Accounting Student Award of the Society for Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN) in 1998.

In the same year, she received the Best Student Award of the National Association of Polytechnic Accountancy Students (NAPAS), The Polytechnic Ibadan Chapter.

Mrs Zakariyah became an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in 2002 and a Fellow of ICAN in 2014.

She was also a recipient of the Society for Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN) Award for Woman of Excellence in 2020.

As part of her professional development, she has attended professional conferences locally and internationally and has delivered papers at several conferences and workshops.

She is described as approaching her responsibilities with diligence, integrity and a strong sense of accountability. Over the years, she has developed a working style that combines professional ethics with emotional intelligence, enabling effective collaboration and consistent delivery of results within set timelines.

Mrs Zakariyah also maintains a disciplined and respectful approach to work, with a continuous focus on improving financial processes, strengthening institutional controls and supporting the overall integrity of the University’s financial management system.

Mariam Zakariyah, née Adegbite, hails from Abeokuta South, Ogun State, and was born on 19 October 1975 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

She began her elementary education at Alafia Nursery and Primary School, Ibadan, where she obtained her Primary School Leaving Certificate in 1986.

She attended Saint Louis Girls’ Grammar School, Ibadan, for her secondary education from 1986 to 1992.

She obtained a National Diploma (ND) in Accountancy from The Polytechnic Ibadan in 1996 and a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy from the same institution in 1998.

She later obtained a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Economics from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, in 2007.

Her academic qualifications also include a Master of Business Administration (MBA), obtained from the University of Ibadan in 2014, and a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Accounting from the University of Ibadan in 2021.

She also holds an academic Diploma in Information Technology from HiiT Plc, Ibadan.

Mrs Zakariyah, a devout Muslim, is married with children.

She has assumed duties as the 10th Bursar and first female Bursar of the University of Ibadan.