A barrier breaking milestone has been made with the appointment of a Nigerian Professor, Nazmat Surajudeen-Bakinde as the first substantive female Vice-Chancellor of The Gambia University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (USET), Gambia.
This marks a historic achievement as the first Northern Nigerian female professor to be appointed a Vice-Chancellor in another African country!
Prof. Nazmat Surajudeen-Bakinde, a pioneering Nigerian female academic who hails from Offa in Kwara State Nigeria, is a distinguished Professor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, an accomplished academic leader, researcher, innovation advocate, and higher education administrator with over two decades of experience in teaching, research, institutional development, and university governance. She has many firsts to her credit including being the first substantive female president of Offa Engineers in Kwara State, first female professor of electrical and electronics engineering in the University of Ilorin since the inception of that department in 1978 and the first female Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State origin to head any university both within and outside the country in a substantive capacity. She is also the first female professor of electrical and electronics engineering from the whole of northern Nigeria among others.
Her primary education commenced at the Ansar-ud-Deen primary school, Offa. She subsequently proceeded for her secondary school education to Offa Grammar School which was established in 1943 and known as the first community secondary school in the old northern Nigeria. She obtained both her Bachelor’s degree and her Master’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Ilorin in 1998 and 2004 respectively. After securing the highly coveted Commonwealth Scholarship funded by the UK government in 2005, she obtained her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, in 2010. She also earned a Certificate in Advanced Studies in Academic Practice (CASAP) from the Grenoble School of Management, France in 2014. She is a registered Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and an active member of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE), and the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN). She also belongs to the Offa Professors Forum (OPF), a body comprising over 150 full professors worldwide from Offa, a town affirmed as the cradle of civilisation in Kwara State, Nigeria.
Prior to her appointment in The Gambia, Prof. Nazmat Surajudeen-Bakinde served the University of Ilorin, Nigeria,where she cut her teeth as an academic. She served in various academic and administrative capacities, including Acting Head of Department, Postgraduate Coordinator, Level Adviser, Faculty Committee Chairperson, Senate Representative, Member of Research Grant Committees, Academic Planning and Curriculum Committees, and University Accreditation Committees. Her proficient, productive and impactful teaching and academic mentoring strides are legendary. Her extensive experience spans quality assurance, curriculum development, research management, strategic planning, and institutional transformation.
In October 2024, following a highly competitive selection process conducted by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST) Gambia, and the Governing Council of USET, Prof Nazmat Surajudeen-Bakinde was appointed as the First Substantive and First Female Vice-Chancellor of The Gambia University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (USET). As a result of her outstanding performance, this appointment was renewed on 1st July 2026.
As part of her achievement as Vice-Chancellor of USET, she has provided visionary leadership that has accelerated USET’s transformation into a modern, innovation-driven university, a seat of learning that is focused on applied sciences, engineering, technology, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. Under her leadership, all academic programmes of the University secured accreditation from the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA), Gambia while significant institutional reforms were implemented to strengthen governance, staff development, student welfare, quality assurance, and industry engagement.
Prof. Nazmat Surajudeen-Bakinde has championed the integration of teaching, research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization as core pillars of USET’s development agenda. She has led the establishment and strengthening of key innovation ecosystems within the University, including the Entrepreneurship Research, Innovation and Development (ERID) Clusters, the Entrepreneurship Hub and Innovation Lab (EHIL), and the USET Development, Services and Training (DST) initiatives. These platforms have enhanced technology transfer, enterprise development, research commercialization, and student innovation.
Her tenure has also witnessed the expansion of strategic partnerships and international collaborations with universities, industries, government institutions, development partners, diplomatic missions, and private-sector organizations across Africa, Europe, and Asia. These partnerships have yielded tangible results in human staff capacity building, scholarships, internships, research collaboration, technology transfer, and infrastructure development.
As a strong advocate of human capital development, she has overseen extensive capacity-building initiatives, enabling numerous academic and technical staff to undertake doctoral studies and international professional development programmes in countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Indonesia, China, and Poland. She has also promoted innovation-led education and entrepreneurship, resulting in notable student achievements, including international recognition in innovation and agricultural technology competitions.
Prof. Nazmat Surajudeen-Bakinde is widely recognized for her commitment to gender inclusion – a passionate advocate for girl-child education, youth empowerment, community service, and social impact.
Her leadership philosophy emphasizes excellence, innovation, integrity, strategic partnerships, and the practical application of knowledge for socio-economic transformation. Through her stewardship, USET continues to advance its vision of becoming a leading centre of excellence in applied sciences, engineering, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development in Africa.
Nigerians celebrate these remarkable milestones and congratulate the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nazmat Surajudeen-Bakinde on her achievement. She is undoubtedly an inspiration to women and youth in academia. Her progress reinforces the importance of excellence, leadership and regional collaboration across the continent.
