BY MAIRIGA Juliana, Mina
The Governing Council of the Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna has approved the appointment of Professor Abdullahi Bala of the Department of Soil Science and Land Management, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (SAAT) as the 7th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University.
The appointment was approved by Council during its 125th Special Council Meeting at the end of the Council’s consideration of the recommendation of the selection Committee.
A letter signed by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Prof. Femi Odekunle, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Minna, said the appointment is for a single term of five years with effect from Sunday, December 3, 2017.
Prof. Bala who hails from Suleja in Niger state, was born on March 27, 1967 and attended Dawaki Primary School, Suleja (1973-1979) and Federal Government College, Minna, (1979-1984), after which he proceeded to the School of Basic Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1984-1985).
He graduated from ABU, Zaria with a Bachelor of Agriculture Degree (1st Class Honours) in 1989 and in 1992 won a Commonwealth Academic Staff Scholarship for a Master’s Degree in Soil Chemistry in the University of Reading.
Another Commonwealth Scholarship saw him through Wye College, University of London where he bagged a PhD in Soil Microbiology in 1999.
He joined the services of the University on January 10, 1991 as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Soil Science, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (SAAT), and progressed steadily to the rank of Professor of Soil Science on October 1, 2010.
NationalTrail learnt that Prof. Bala was first appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) on February 24, 2012 and was redeployed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) on February 4, 2013.
He was also re-appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) for a final term of two years on March 7, 2014.
Other positions of responsibilities held by Prof. Bala include: Director, Centre for Preliminary and Extra-Mural Studies, Associate Policy Analyst with the Independent Policy Group, Presidency, Abuja and Head of Department, Soil Science.
He also serves as Inoculants Delivery Specialist at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Kano Sub-station.
He is a member of many professional bodies within and outside the country namely: International Union of Soil Science (IUSS), Soil Science Society of Nigeria (SSSN), American Society for Agronomy (ASA) amongst other.
He is a fellow, Soil Science Society of Nigeria and is well published in reputable high impact journals and has supervised many students at B.Tech, M.Tech and Ph.D levels.
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