Posted by Chinenye on Tue 06th Oct, 2026 - tori.ng
Akwa Ibom State has appointed Professor Philip Afaha as the first Vice-Chancellor of its new University of Education in Afaha Nsit.
(Akwa Ibom State University of Education. Photo Credit: Instagram / @edidiongitaii)
Professor Philip Afaha has been appointed the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the newly established Akwa Ibom State University of Education, Afaha Nsit.
Governor Umo Eno announced the appointment during the 2026 Teachers Day celebration.
The school also confirmed it in a statement on Tuesday.
Afaha is a historian and administrator who was Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, at the University of Abuja.
He joined the university in 2013 as a Lecturer I and became a Professor of History and Intergroup Relations in 2021.
Along the way, he served as Head of the Department of History and Diplomatic Studies, Director of the Institute of Legislative Studies and Director of the Abuja Leadership Centre, among other roles.
He holds a bachelor's degree in History and a master's degree in History and International Studies from the University of Uyo, and a PhD in History, with a focus on Intergroup Relations, from the University of Abuja.
Born on December 8, 1972, in Akai Ubium, Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, he has written or co-written more than 50 publications, the statement said.
He has also taken part in academic and professional work in Nigeria and abroad.
In 2025, he was named Special Adviser on Policy and Strategy to the Edo State Governor. In May 2026, he became an adjunct professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
As pioneer Vice-Chancellor, Afaha will lead the setting up of the university's academic and administrative structures as it begins operations.
The statement described his appointment as another big step in the career of one of Akwa Ibom's accomplished scholars and administrators.