A globally trained academic and human resource management specialist will lead Federal Polytechnic Ugep, Cross River State, following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's appointment of Dr Makoji Stephen as the institution's new Rector.
The appointment, which takes effect from March 17, 2026, runs for a single tenure of five years in accordance with the Polytechnic Act 2019 as amended.
Dr Stephen brings extensive international academic exposure to the role, having earned a PhD in Business and Management with specialisation in Human Resource Management from the University of Salford Business School in 2016 as a Tertiary Education Trust Fund scholar.
His academic journey began with a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration with Second Class Upper Division from Ahmadu Bello University in 1998, followed by a Master of Science in Public Administration from Benue State University.
As a self funded student, he travelled to the United Kingdom, where he earned a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from the University of Salford in 2009 before pursuing doctoral studies at the same institution.
Before his appointment, Dr Stephen served as Chief Lecturer in the Department of Public Administration at Federal Polytechnic Idah and as an Adjunct Faculty member in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at Miva Open University, Nigeria. He has also taught extensively at several universities in the United Kingdom and served as a Visiting Researcher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.
In 2011, he worked as a fully funded visiting researcher at Southern University's International Centre for Information Technology and Development in the United States. Two years later, 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 significant scholastic achievement and leadership.
Dr Stephen holds membership in the Society for Human Resource Management, United States; the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development; and the Manchester Industrial Relations Society, United Kingdom.
Education stakeholders noted that his combination of administrative expertise, human capital development knowledge, and international research exposure positions him to strengthen institutional governance, academic standards, and industry relevance at Federal Polytechnic Ugep.
Observers described the appointment as consistent with the Tinubu administration's agenda to elevate competence and global competitiveness within Nigeria's higher education system, with expectations that his vision and experience will transform the institution into a model of merit, research relevance, and administrative efficiency in Nigeria's polytechnic education landscape.
