Philomath University Appoints Professor Moti Acting Vice Chancellor

Philomath University Appoints Professor Moti Acting Vice Chancellor

Philomath University, Abuja, has appointed Professor Ukertor Gabriel Moti as its Acting Vice Chancellor, following the expiration of the tenure of Professor Gylych Jelilov.

The appointment was announced in a statement signed by the university’s Registrar, Engr. Damilola Silas.

Professor Moti, a professor of public administration and governance, brings extensive experience in academic leadership, university administration, research, management consultancy and leadership development to his new position.

Prior to his appointment, Moti served at the University of Abuja, where he was Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies for two terms between 2021 and 2025. He also served briefly as Director of the Abuja Leadership Centre, a TETFund Centre of Excellence in Governance and Leadership.

Beyond the university system, Moti has built an international profile in public sector management and leadership. He is certified by the Maxwell Leadership team to facilitate leadership and professional development programmes and is a Certified Management Consultant and Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants.

He previously served as President of the Institute of Management Consultants Nigeria and is licensed to provide training on the ISO 20700:2017 standard for management consultancy.

Moti also made history as the first Nigerian and second African to be inducted as a CMC-Global Academic Fellow by the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes in Zurich.

His international engagements include the International Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance in the United Kingdom and the African Association for Public Administration and Management. He is also the Chief Editor of the African Journal of Public Administration and Management in Nairobi.

His governance experience includes service on the Governing Council of the University of Abuja and the International Commission on the Accreditation of Public Administration Education and Training. He currently chairs the Governing Council of the College of Education, Katsina-Ala.

The professor has also held academic appointments outside Nigeria. He was a Visiting Scholar at KU Leuven, Belgium, and is a Research Fellow at the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. He is also affiliated with the Gulf Research Center at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Moti holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political and Administrative Studies from the University of Port Harcourt, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Lagos and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Benin.

He rose through the academic ranks from Lecturer II to Professor and has presented scholarly papers at international conferences in more than 40 countries.

Professor Moti is currently on sabbatical at Philomath University.

The Governing Council expressed confidence that his academic experience, administrative expertise and leadership background will contribute to strengthening the university and advancing its pursuit of academic excellence, innovation and global relevance.