Who Is Professor Patricia Manko Lar? Meet UNIJOS’ First Female Vice-Chancellor

For nearly four decades, Professor Patricia Manko Lar has been part of the University of Jos, moving through its academic ranks, contributing to medical research and taking on responsibilities that have shaped her career in higher education. Now, she is preparing to take on its highest administrative office.

The University of Jos has appointed Lar as its 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor, making her the first woman to lead the institution since its establishment more than five decades ago. She will succeed Professor Tanko Ishaya, whose five-year tenure ends in November 2026.

Announced on Thursday, November 12, by the university’s Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Senator Grace Folashade Bent, during a special meeting of the 15th Governing Council, the appointment marks a new chapter in the university’s leadership.

But beyond the historic first, Lar’s appointment brings a familiar face to the institution’s top office: an academic whose professional journey has been closely tied to UNIJOS, from the classroom and laboratory to university administration.

Who Is Professor Patricia Manko Lar?

Professor Patricia Manko Lar is a Nigerian academic and Medical Microbiologist whose career has focused on infectious disease research, teaching and university administration.

She joined the University of Jos in 1987 as a Graduate Assistant, beginning a career that would see her spend nearly four decades at the institution. Through years of teaching, research and academic service, she rose through the ranks before becoming a Professor of Medical Microbiology in 2015.

Her academic training took her through two of Nigeria’s established universities, Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Lagos, where she obtained her degrees. She later expanded her research experience internationally through postdoctoral training at the University of Maryland in the United States under the NIH-Fogarty Fellowship Programme.

That combination of local academic experience and international research exposure helped shape her work in medical microbiology, particularly in understanding infectious diseases and the challenges they present to public health.

A Research Career Focused on Infectious Diseases

Beyond her teaching responsibilities, Lar has built a research profile around some of the infectious diseases and public health concerns that continue to affect communities in Nigeria and beyond.

Her research interests include HIV/AIDS, malaria and antimicrobial resistance, areas that remain important to medical science and healthcare delivery.

She has authored more than 40 scholarly publications, contributing to academic discussions and research in medical microbiology. Her work reflects a career that has extended beyond the lecture hall into scientific investigation and the broader effort to understand and address infectious diseases.

It is also a research background that brings a different dimension to her new position. While the Vice-Chancellor’s office is largely administrative, it sits at the centre of an institution expected to advance teaching, scientific research, innovation and knowledge production.

From Departmental Leadership to University Administration

Lar’s experience in university administration did not begin with her appointment as Vice-Chancellor. Over the years, she has occupied several positions that have exposed her to different aspects of managing an academic institution.

At the University of Jos, she served as Head of the Department of Microbiology, a position that placed her within the academic and administrative responsibilities of departmental leadership.

She also served as Director of Linkages and Collaborations, a role connected to building institutional relationships and facilitating academic partnerships.

Outside UNIJOS, Lar was Secretary-General of the West African Research and Innovation Management Association (WARIMA), further extending her experience into regional research and innovation management.

Before her latest appointment, she also served as Acting Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University in Abuja. The experience gave her an opportunity to take on university-wide leadership responsibilities beyond her long-standing departmental and institutional roles at UNIJOS.

Taken together, these appointments trace a gradual movement from academic research and teaching into the wider responsibilities of university governance.

Taking Over From Professor Tanko Ishaya

Lar’s appointment comes as Professor Tanko Ishaya prepares to conclude his tenure as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos.

Ishaya assumed office on December 1, 2021, and is completing a five-year term. His departure will make way for Lar to become the institution’s 11th substantive Vice-Chancellor.

Her appointment was formally announced by Senator Grace Folashade Bent, who presented her with the appointment letter and urged her to remain focused on providing leadership for the university.

She will inherit an institution with an established academic history and the responsibilities that come with managing a major public university, including research development, academic standards, staff and student welfare, institutional partnerships and resource mobilisation.

Her previous experience across these areas of university life will now come together in a single office, with responsibility for the institution’s overall direction.

What Patricia Lar’s Appointment Means for UNIJOS

For the University of Jos, Lar’s emergence is significant for a reason that goes beyond the change of administration.

Established more than five decades ago, the university has had several substantive Vice-Chancellors, but none has been a woman. Lar’s appointment changes that history, placing her at the forefront of female leadership at the institution.

It is also a notable milestone in a career that began within the same university in 1987. Nearly 39 years later, she is returning to the institution’s leadership as the person responsible for overseeing its academic and administrative direction.

Her journey from Graduate Assistant to Professor, departmental head, director, research management executive and Acting Vice-Chancellor offers a picture of the experience she brings into the position.

As she prepares to succeed Tanko Ishaya, the focus will shift from the significance of being the university’s first female Vice-Chancellor to the responsibilities of leading an institution that has served generations of students and academics.

For Patricia Manko Lar, it is a new role at a university she has known for most of her professional life. For UNIJOS, it is the beginning of a new chapter in its leadership history.