Maimuna Waziri

Biography

Maimuna Waziri is from Yobe State in northeastern Nigeria. She is a professor of chemistry who built her academic career in the sciences. In 2021, she was appointed the third Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Gashua (FUG), making her the first woman to lead the institution.

Her appointment came after a competitive process in which she was selected from among 47 professors. Twenty-five of them were interviewed by the university council, and she was chosen from the final three candidates.

In 2023, as Vice-Chancellor, she chaired the appointment of Ibrahim Ahmed Jajere and Mohammed Attai Yakubu as Deputy Vice-Chancellors of Academics and Administration respectively.

Historical Context

Northeastern Nigeria has historically had lower educational attainment rates, especially for women. For a woman from Yobe State to rise through the ranks of academic chemistry and ultimately lead a federal university is a significant achievement. It reflects both individual determination and the slow but real expansion of educational opportunities for women in the region.

What She Fought For

Waziri has worked to strengthen the academic standing of Federal University, Gashua, and to demonstrate that women from northeastern Nigeria can lead in higher education. Her appointment sent a strong signal about merit-based leadership in the country's university system.

Major Achievements

• Professor of chemistry
• Third Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Gashua (appointed 2021)
• First female Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Gashua
• Selected from among 47 competing professors through a rigorous council process

Her Impact Today

Maimuna Waziri's leadership of a federal university in northeastern Nigeria is an important example for young women in the region. She represents the possibility of academic excellence and institutional leadership in a part of the country where women's access to education has faced the greatest challenges.

Sources: The Nation Nigeria