President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr. Makoji Stephen as Rector of Federal Polytechnic Ugep, Cross River State.
The appointment, approved by the Federal Government, takes effect from March 17, 2026, and runs for a single five-year tenure in line with the Polytechnic Act 2019 (as amended).
Education stakeholders view the move as a strategic effort to reposition the institution through administrative depth, international research exposure and human capital development expertise.
Until his elevation, Dr. Stephen served as Chief Lecturer in the Department of Public Administration at Federal Polytechnic, Idah. He was also an Adjunct Faculty member in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at Miva Open University, Nigeria.
An accomplished scholar, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration with Second Class Upper Division from Ahmadu Bello University in 1998, before proceeding to Benue State University where he obtained a Master of Science in Public Administration.
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His academic pursuit later took him to the United Kingdom where he earned a Master of Science in Human Resource Management in 2009 from the University of Salford.
In 2016, he completed a Ph.D. in Business and Management with specialisation in Human Resource Management at the University of Salford Business School as a Tertiary Education Trust Fund scholar.
Beyond classroom teaching, Stephen’s career reflects significant international recognition.
In 2011, he served 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 in Vancouver, Canada, in recognition of scholastic achievement and leadership.
He is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (United States), the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development, and the Manchester Industrial Relations Society (United Kingdom).
Observers note that his blend of public administration, business management and human resource expertise could strengthen institutional governance, enhance academic standards and deepen industry linkages at Federal Polytechnic Ugep.
They also argue that the appointment aligns with the Tinubu administration’s broader agenda of entrenching merit-driven leadership and elevating global competitiveness across Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape.
