The Unexplained Professorship of Stella Ngozi Lemchi, Vice-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku Federal University

The reinstatement of Professor Stella Ngozi Lemchi as Vice-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education (AIFUE), Owerri, has drawn fresh attention to longstanding questions about the legitimacy of her academic progression. Central to the controversy is her claim of appointment and promotion to a professorship in “Home Economics Education” at Imo State University (IMSU), despite clear institutional records indicating that no such academic program existed at the time.

Between July 2023 and January 2024, Lemchi was purportedly appointed first as an Associate Professor and later promoted to full professor in the Department of Social Science Education at IMSU. However, the 2023 Departmental Handbook of the Faculty of Education provides no record of “Home Economics Education” as an area of specialization. Instead, it lists only three recognized programs within the department: Economics Education, Geography Education, and Political Science Education. There is no indication that Home Economics Education was ever offered or approved under the department during that period.In a development that appears to contradict standard academic procedures, Lemchi was initially offered a regular, full-time position as Associate Professor through a letter dated July 26, 2023 (ref: IMSU/REF/EST/004). At the time, she was still the substantive Provost of Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education—a federal institution—making her application to IMSU while holding that office, which she was appointed in July 2022, a breach of civil service regulations, including those relating to full-time appointments and secondment.

The appointment letter, signed by IMSU Registrar Dr. Julius Uzoma Osuagwu, stated that the Vice-Chancellor, acting on behalf of the Governing Council, approved the recommendation of the interview panel to appoint her as Associate Professor on salary grade CONUASS 6:1. The appointment was to take effect upon resumption of duty, within 30 days, and placed her on a two-year probation period during which her employment could be terminated without explanation.

Less than six months later, on January 12, 2024, Lemchi received a second appointment letter (ref: IMSU/REG/EST/ACA/PF/1151), this time promoting her to the rank of full Professor in “Home Economics Education” on salary grade CONUASS 7. This promotion—granted well before the standard three-year period required between academic promotions—was based on an external assessment reportedly approved by the university’s Governing Council during its 71st Regular Meeting held on January 10, 2024. The letter stated that her professorship was effective from July 31, 2023—the date she allegedly assumed duty—despite the absence of any documented Home Economics Education program in the department.

The letter also stipulated that by accepting the offer in writing, she committed to serving the university for at least three years before resignation, requiring formal notice and Council consent for early departure. Notably, both letters made reference to her being bound by the conditions stated in the earlier communication, despite her ongoing status as a staff member at Alvan Ikoku during this period.

What stands out is not only the unprecedented speed of her promotion but also the fact that it was tied to a specialization that has no official recognition in IMSU’s academic structure. No record exists showing that the Department of Social Science Education had introduced, approved, or accredited a Home Economics Education program. In Nigerian universities, academic appointments and promotions must be anchored in existing, NUC-accredited programs with verifiable curricula, departmental structures, and faculty support.

Faculty insiders and students alike have confirmed that Home Economics Education was never part of the department’s offerings. Senior academic staff have reiterated that the department has operated with only its three approved specializations for several years. Moreover, there is no publicly available documentation, Senate resolution, or Governing Council communication announcing the introduction of Home Economics Education as a new academic unit.

If the program was never formally introduced or accredited, then IMSU could not have legally or procedurally awarded a professorship under that designation. This raises the critical issue: If IMSU cannot confer professorial titles in a non-existent academic program, then Dr Lemchi’s promotion may be considered a nullity—void and unrecognized both in Nigeria and internationally.

The implications of this are significant. In the Nigerian university system, appointments and academic titles carry legal and professional weight. A professorship earned outside the boundaries of recognized procedure not only undermines the integrity of the institution that conferred it but also calls into question the credentials of the individual in question. As the current Vice-Chancellor of a federal university, Lemchi’s qualifications form the foundation of her authority and leadership.There are also broader concerns about due process and administrative oversight. The bypassing of promotion timelines, coupled with dual employment at two federal institutions, contradicts existing civil service rules and university regulations. The absence of transparency in the entire appointment and promotion process further erodes trust in institutional governance.

At the time of writing, neither IMSU nor AIFUE has issued a public clarification or statement addressing the discrepancies in Lemchi’s academic records. The National Universities Commission (NUC), the regulatory body tasked with overseeing accreditation and compliance in Nigerian higher education, has also remained silent on the matter.Academic stakeholders, regulatory bodies, and concerned civil society groups have called for an immediate and thorough investigation. The release of relevant Senate minutes, departmental records, external assessment reports, and accreditation documents is necessary to resolve the matter conclusively.

Until such information is made public, serious doubts will continue to surround the legitimacy of Lemchi’s professorship and the administrative processes that facilitated it.