After more than 50 years of male leadership, the University of Jos (UNIJOS),Prof. Patricia Lar has shattered the ceiling as she becomes the first female Vice Chancellor
Professor Patricia Mamko Lar as its 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor.She succeeds Professor Tanko Ishaya, whose tenure ends this month.
Prof. Lar’s appointment was announced on Thursday, November 12, 2026, by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Grace Folashade Bent, during a special meeting of the 15th Governing Council of the University.
In a statement signed by Emmanuel Madugu, Deputy Registrar, Information and Public Relations, the University said:
“Professor Patricia Mamko Lar formally takes over from Professor Tanko Ishaya as the 11th Substantive and 1st female Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos.”
The story of Prof. Lar is a story of patience, dedication and steady rise.
She is a medical microbiologist who joined the University of Jos as a graduate assistant in 1987. She rose through the academic ranks and was appointed Professor of Medical Microbiology in 2015.
She obtained her degrees from Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Lagos.
Before her appointment as UNIJOS VC, she served as Acting Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja.
What started as a young graduate assistant in 1987 has now ended at the very top — as the Vice-Chancellor of the same university she has served for 39 years.
The University of Jos was founded in 1971 and had never had a female substantive Vice-Chancellor until now.
Her appointment is not just a personal victory for Prof. Lar, it is a historic milestone for women in academia, for Plateau State, and for Nigeria’s university system.
She is coming in at a time when the university faces ongoing questions about infrastructure, student welfare and the management of its academic environment.
Many staff and students will now be watching to see how the first female VC will steer the institution.