The appointment takes effect from March 17, 2026, and will run for a single tenure of five years in accordance with the Polytechnic Act 2019 (as amended).
Academic and Administrative Background
Prior to his appointment, Dr. Stephen served as Chief Lecturer in the Department of Public Administration at Federal Polytechnic Idah. He also functioned as an Adjunct Faculty member in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at Miva Open University.
An accomplished scholar with local and international academic exposure, Stephen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration (Second Class Upper Division) from Ahmadu Bello University in 1998. He later obtained a Master of Science in Public Administration from Benue State University.
In 2009, he completed a Master of Science in Human Resource Management at the University of Salford, United Kingdom. He subsequently earned a Ph.D. in Business and Management with specialisation in Human Resource Management in 2016 from the University of Salford Business School as a Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) scholar.
International Exposure and Recognition
Dr. Stephen has taught at several universities in the United Kingdom and served as a Visiting Researcher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. In 2011, he was a fully funded Visiting Researcher at Southern University’s International Centre for Information Technology and Development in the United States.
In 2013, he received a Graduate Scholar Award at the Conference on Knowledge, Culture and Change Management hosted by the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, in recognition of his academic achievement and leadership.
He holds professional memberships with the Society for Human Resource Management (United States), the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development, and the Manchester Industrial Relations Society (United Kingdom).
Expectations for Institutional Growth
Education stakeholders say Stephen’s blend of administrative experience, human capital development expertise and international research exposure positions him to strengthen governance, improve academic standards and enhance industry relevance at Federal Polytechnic Ugep.
Observers note that the appointment aligns with the Tinubu administration’s broader agenda of promoting competence, institutional stability and global competitiveness within Nigeria’s higher education system.
As the institution prepares for a new leadership phase, expectations are high that Dr. Stephen’s experience and vision will help reposition Federal Polytechnic Ugep as a model of research relevance, merit-based administration and operational efficiency in Nigeria’s polytechnic education landscape.