Professor Philip Afaha has been appointed the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the newly established Akwa Ibom State University of Education, Afaha Nsit.
The appointment was announced by Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, during the 2026 Teachers’ Day celebration and was confirmed by the university in a statement on Tuesday.
Afaha, a historian and administrator, is a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, at the University of Abuja, where he joined the academic staff in 2013 as a Lecturer I.
He was promoted to Professor of History and Intergroup Relations in 2021 and held several administrative positions at the university, including Head of the Department of History and Diplomatic Studies, Director of the Institute of Legislative Studies and Director of the Abuja Leadership Centre.
Afaha holds a bachelor’s degree in History and a master’s degree in History and International Studies from the University of Uyo. He earned his PhD in History, specialising in Intergroup Relations, from the University of Abuja.
Born on December 8, 1972, in Akai Ubium, Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Afaha has authored and co-authored more than 50 publications, according to the university’s statement.
He has also undertaken academic and professional engagements in Nigeria and abroad. In 2025, he was appointed Special Adviser on Policy and Strategy to the Edo State Governor. In May 2026, he was appointed an adjunct professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
As the institution’s pioneer Vice-Chancellor, Afaha will be responsible for establishing its academic and administrative structures as the university prepares to commence operations.
The university described his appointment as “another significant chapter in the academic and professional career of one of Akwa Ibom’s accomplished scholars and administrators.”
