Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has approved the appointment of Prof Philip Afaha as the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the Akwa Ibom State University of Education, Afaha Nsit.
Afaha, who is also the immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, at the University of Abuja, is a Professor of History and Inter-Group Relations, the University of Abuja.
Eno announced the appointment on Monday at the Uyo Sports Stadium during the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration.
Afaha, described the appointment as unexpected, but said he regarded it as a major responsibility and a challenge to build the new institution from the ground up.
“Well, it came as a shock to me, a sweet one, though. This is a new university and, in my own way of doing things, I promise to hit the ground running and work hard to lift the University up.
“It is a challenge, and the confidence that the Governor has reposed in me by this very appointment will be justified. I am excited about it, but I also know that a lot is expected of me, and I will not fail.
“I will approach the assignment with all the sense of purpose and seriousness that have defined me whenever I am entrusted with serious responsibilities,” he said.
Afaha’s appointment places him at the helm of the newly established institution, where he is expected to provide the leadership required to set its academic and administrative structures and establish its institutional direction.
