From an ambitious vision to a university taking shape, the University of Agriculture, Science and Technology (UAST), Ihugh, is charting a new course under Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Leonard Karshima Shilgba, with a renewed drive to make innovation, practical learning and community transformation the pillars of its existence, Denen Achussah writes.
With construction of critical infrastructure progressing, academic processes undergoing strengthening and an ambitious Science and Technology Innovation Park in the works, the University of Agriculture, Science and Technology (UAST), Ihugh, appears to be gathering momentum towards fulfilling its founding vision. Under Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Leonard Karshima Shilgba, the institution is positioning itself as more than another state-owned university: A centre for practical learning, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and community transformation.
When the Benue State Government conceived the University of Agriculture, Science and Technology (UAST), Ihugh, the ambition was bigger than establishing another tertiary institution. It was to create a specialised university that would harness the agricultural potential, scientific resources and technological opportunities of Benue State to drive economic development.
Approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in 2025, following the passage of its establishment law by the Benue State House of Assembly, UAST was designed to address the disconnect between conventional university education and the practical skills required to solve society’s problems.
Its founding philosophy – Transformative Learning, Innovation and Community Impact – captures this ambition.
But translating an ambitious vision into a functional university requires more than legislation, buildings and the admission of students. It requires purposeful leadership, credible academic structures, competent personnel, infrastructure and a clear understanding of what the institution must contribute to society.
Nearly a year after its establishment, UAST appears to be making deliberate efforts to consolidate its foundations and move towards that purpose under the leadership of its Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Leonard Karshima Shilgba.
Appointed by Fr. Hyacinth Alia on July 30, 2026, following a change in the university’s leadership, Prof. Shilgba inherited an institution at an important stage of its development. His immediate responsibility has been to strengthen its administrative and academic structures while sustaining the momentum of its take-off.
Building on a foundation of academic integrity
One of the immediate challenges confronting the new administration was the need to regularise the academic records of the university’s pioneer students.
At its maiden matriculation ceremony on June 18, UAST admitted 664 students into various degree programmes, marking an important milestone in the establishment of the institution.
However, the first-semester examination process subsequently presented an administrative challenge.
In a statement explaining the examination timetable, Professor Shilgba disclosed that when he assumed office on July 30, he discovered that although the first-semester examinations had reportedly been completed on July 2, the processes required to establish and approve the results had not been concluded.
According to him, an examination audit revealed that scripts had been removed from the university’s normal examination and results-processing chain by the former administration, leaving no computed results at departmental and school levels for consideration by Senate.
The situation, he explained, meant there were no duly processed first-semester results for the university to release.
Rather than compromise academic standards by awarding results without the necessary documentation and approvals, the administration opted for an academic recovery process.
At its meeting of August 3, the university Senate approved the necessary academic instruments and designated the current semester as the Academic Recovery Semester.
The development is not a suspension of the university’s academic activities or a shutdown of its programmes. Rather, it is an administrative and academic intervention to regularise inherited processes and ensure that students’ records meet the standards expected of a recognised university.
The end-of-session examinations are scheduled to commence on Monday, November 2, and end on November 14, 2026.
For Prof. Shilgba, the immediate inconvenience associated with the recovery process must not be allowed to undermine the long-term academic interests of the students.
His position is that a university degree must represent genuine academic achievement, supported by properly documented assessments, departmental scrutiny, school-level consideration and Senate approval.
The administration is also introducing student evaluation of lecturers as part of efforts to strengthen teaching quality and institutional accountability.
These interventions are significant because the credibility of a young university is determined not only by its facilities but also by the integrity of the academic certificates it eventually awards.
Beyond conventional university infrastructure
While addressing inherited administrative challenges, UAST is also pursuing an ambitious infrastructure development programme at its permanent site in Ihugh.
Massive construction work is ongoing, including modern male and female student hostels, lecture theatres and a canteen, alongside other facilities required to support teaching, learning and campus life.
The university has also assembled academic and non-academic personnel to drive its operations.
University Librarian, Professor Umbur Demekaa, expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction work at the site, particularly the commitment of Dr … Akperekpe, whom he described as more than a contractor.
According to Prof. Demekaa, Dr. Solomon Akperekpe has demonstrated genuine interest in the growth and development of the institution.
He also observed that the structures taking shape at the university reflect the standard of infrastructure development associated with the Fr. Alia Alia administration.
However, UAST’s infrastructure ambition extends beyond conventional classrooms, administrative buildings and laboratories.
One of its most ambitious proposals is the establishment of the UAST Science and Technology Innovation Park (STIP), an integrated ecosystem designed to connect academic learning with research, industrial applications, entrepreneurship and community problem-solving.
Rather than establishing isolated laboratories for individual departments, the proposed innovation park is organised around eight interconnected innovation centres.
These include the Digital Agriculture Innovation Centre; Food Innovation and Bioeconomy Centre; Environmental, Water and Climate Systems Centre; Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Centre; Computing and Cyber Innovation Centre; Smart Engineering and Renewable Energy Centre; Biomedical and Life Sciences Innovation Centre; and Earth Resources and Digital Geoscience Centre.
The concept is particularly relevant to Benue State, whose agricultural strength, mineral resources and environmental challenges provide opportunities for research and technological innovation.
For instance, the Digital Agriculture Innovation Centre is designed to support precision farming through drones, geographical information systems, weather stations, Internet of Things sensors and smart irrigation.
The Food Innovation and Bioeconomy Centre would focus on agro-processing, food preservation, packaging, product development and quality control.
This is especially important for a state recognised as Nigeria’s Food Basket, where reducing post-harvest losses and adding value to agricultural produce remain critical development priorities.
Similarly, the Earth Resources and Digital Geoscience Centre would support geological mapping, mineral exploration and environmental management, while the Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Centre would provide technological support across the university’s various programmes.
Another distinctive feature is the proposed Living Laboratory Campus concept, under which the entire university environment becomes an extension of its research and teaching facilities.
Solar installations would serve as renewable energy research facilities, demonstration farms would support smart irrigation experiments, while sensors installed across the campus would provide data for artificial intelligence and mathematical modelling.
This approach, if fully implemented, would give students opportunities to learn by doing rather than depending exclusively on theoretical classroom instruction.
It is an approach capable of positioning UAST differently within Nigeria’s university system.
Turning academic knowledge into practical skills
Beyond physical infrastructure, the quality and orientation of academic personnel will determine whether UAST achieves its purpose.
One of the academics contributing to this vision is Dr Tersoo Aga, a geologist and mining expert who is currently on sabbatical at the university and serves as Director of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance and Dean of Student Affairs.
Having taught at the University of Jos for several years, Dr. Aga came to UAST with an interest in establishing and developing its Department of Geology and Mining.
He is particularly passionate about adding value to Nigeria’s mineral resources rather than allowing the country to continue exporting raw materials.
His argument is simple: Exporting unprocessed minerals also means exporting the employment and economic opportunities that local processing could generate.
Dr. Aga, who specialises in cutting and polishing gemstones, belongs to the pioneering generation of Nigerians trained in the field.
He believes that Benue can benefit tremendously from developing the capacity to identify, process and commercialise its mineral resources.
To promote this vision, he initiated the university’s webinar lecture series, with its maiden presentation focusing on Nigerian Gemstone Deposits: Unveiling Job Opportunities for the State.
He has also donated books and compasses to support academic activities.
More importantly, his approach to teaching reflects the practical orientation expected of the institution.
Rather than waiting until students reach higher levels before introducing research activities, he has introduced term-paper presentations for 100-level students.
The exercise exposes them early to research, public presentation, communication, professional dressing and effective use of language.
For him, university education must prepare students for life beyond examinations and certificates.
He believes UAST has the opportunity to become a pacesetter, particularly because it is the first university in Benue’s Zone A.
His commitment is also reflected in his interest in attracting a Centre of Excellence in geology and related fields to the institution, with discussions and efforts towards securing wider institutional recognition.
His position captures an important dimension of UAST’s founding philosophy: Producing graduates who can create opportunities rather than merely search for employment.
A university and its host community
Perhaps one of the strongest indications of UAST’s potential is the enthusiasm with which the host community has received the institution.
For Ihugh and surrounding communities, the university represents an opportunity to attract development, create employment, stimulate commercial activities and improve access to higher education.
Mr. Iyorhen Achussah, a retired headteacher and member of the host community, described the establishment of the university as a welcome development.
He commended Fr. Alia for locating the institution in Ihugh, expressing confidence that its presence would attract other positive developments to the area.
According to Mr. Achussah, the community recognises the university as a significant opportunity for its future.
He disclosed that the excitement generated by the institution had contributed to the community’s mobilisation under the MbaGbaka Farmers for Fr. Alia, a group supporting the governor’s political aspirations.
Beyond the political dimension, his comments reflect the expectations of a community that believes the university can become an important instrument of social and economic transformation.
For UAST, this relationship must translate into deliberate community engagement, research partnerships, agricultural extension services, entrepreneurship support and practical interventions addressing local challenges.
That is what would make the university’s presence meaningful beyond its physical location.
Professor Shilgba’s leadership and the road ahead
Professor Shilgba brings considerable experience in university administration and institutional development to the assignment.
Before his appointment, he served as the pioneering President/Vice-Chancellor of Admiralty University of Nigeria, where he also held the position of Vice-President for Academic Affairs.
He was previously Director of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance and the first elected Dean of the Faculty of Science at the institution.
Professor Shilgba also chaired the ninth Governing Board of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), following his appointment by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017.
A professor of mathematics with advanced postdoctoral research experience in Japan under the Japan Student Services Organisation Fellowship, Shilgba has consistently projected an institutional vision centred on academic excellence, entrepreneurship, innovation and international collaboration.
His message to the UAST community is anchored on the university’s motto: Imagine, Aspire, Innovate, Create.
He wants students to develop the capacity to identify problems, generate ideas and transform those ideas into solutions that benefit their communities and society.
The university also envisages partnerships with institutions in China, the United States, the Netherlands, South Africa and Thailand, among others, to support staff exchange, joint research and curriculum development.
Its plans include international study opportunities, industry-oriented education and an emphasis on technology across different academic disciplines.
These are ambitious objectives, but their success will depend on sustained investment, effective implementation, competent personnel and the ability to translate institutional policies into measurable outcomes.
From establishment to purpose
For a young university, the transition from establishment to institutional maturity is often its most demanding phase.
UAST has already crossed the initial hurdle of securing regulatory approval, admitting its pioneer students and commencing academic activities.
It is now confronted with the more important task of building a credible institution capable of delivering on the promises that informed its establishment.
The ongoing construction work, efforts to regularise academic records, emphasis on quality assurance, development of specialised academic programmes and proposed Science and Technology Innovation Park all point towards an institution seeking to define its identity around practical knowledge and innovation.
The challenge is to ensure that these initiatives move beyond policy documents and architectural designs to become functional facilities, productive research centres and opportunities for students and the surrounding communities.
Fr. Alia’s vision in establishing UAST was to create a university capable of contributing meaningfully to agriculture, science, technology and economic development.
Under Professor Shilgba, the immediate task is to give that vision institutional substance.
The November 2 commencement of the end-of-session examinations is another important step in consolidating the academic foundation of the university.
Ultimately, UAST will be judged not by the number of buildings erected at Ihugh or the ambitions contained in its prospectus, but by the quality of its graduates, the relevance of its research, the innovations it produces and the problems it helps solve.
For Ihugh, Benue State and Nigeria, the promise is enormous.
UAST is still a young institution, but the direction now being pursued suggests a university determined to become an engine of knowledge, innovation and community transformation rather than simply another addition to Nigeria’s growing list of universities.
