The Edo State Government has announced a professor of French and Francophone African Literatures, Mrs. Eunice Eboserehimen Omonzejie as the substantive Vice-Chancellor of the state-owned Ambrose Alli University, (AAU) Ekpoma.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that Prof Omonzejie, a long-serving academic in the Department of Modern Languages at the university, takes over from the Acting VC, Prof. Samuel Olowo, erstwhile Provost of the College of Medicine, who was appointed August 28, 2024, by the Chief Dan Osi Orbih-led Governing Council on its inauguration.
A statement Monday night by the secretary to the state government, (SSG) Umar Musa Ikhilor, said Omonzejie’s appointment, which was with immediate effect, was approved by Governor Monday Okpebholo and made from a list of three names recommended to him by the Governing Council of the University.
Ikhilor described Professor Omonzejie as a “prolific researcher and editor, with contributions to African and Francophone literary studies, gender studies, and cultural studies”.
The statement said she had served as the President of the Ambrose Alli University Chapter of the National Association of Women Academics (NAWACS), where she had championed mentoring, research, and advocacy for female academics and students.
“Professor Omonzejie has co-edited several seminal works including French Language in Nigeria: Essays in Honour of UFTAN Pacesetters and Language Matters in Contemporary West Africa and is the author of Women Novelists in Francophone Black Africa: Views, Reviews and Interviews.
“Her appointment is a testament to her academic excellence, administrative experience, and commitment to the growth and development of Ambrose Alli University”, the SSG said.
Congratulating Professor Omonzejie on her appointment, the state government urged her to bring her wealth of experience and leadership skills to bear in advancing the institution’s mandate of producing world-class graduates and driving research and innovation.