FUNAAB’S ASUQUO MAKES HISTORY AS GODSWILL AKPABIO UNIVERSITY’S FIRST BURSAR

The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, has recorded another notable professional milestone as one of its Deputy Bursars, Mrs Antigha Effioanwan Asuquo, emerges as the pioneer Bursar of Godswill Akpabio University, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The appointment places Asuquo at the centre of the financial administration of a new university, giving her the responsibility of helping to establish the systems, structures and procedures that will underpin its financial operations.

It also marks a significant progression in a career spanning nearly two decades of university financial administration at FUNAAB.

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According to the Ag. Head of the Directorate of Public Relations, Mr Olasunkanmi Olajide, Asuquo joined the FUNAAB Bursary Department in July 2007 and has served in several capacities during her years at the institution.

Her current appointment follows a steady progression through some of the university’s most important financial management functions.

FROM PAYROLL ADMINISTRATION TO UNIVERSITY FINANCIAL LEADERSHIP

Asuquo currently serves as Head of Payroll and Personal Entitlements, a position she assumed on November 1, 2023.

In that capacity, she oversees the preparation and processing of monthly salaries for academic and non-teaching staff, salary variations, staff entitlements, third-party deductions, pension remittances and other payroll-related financial operations.

Her responsibilities also include supervising the finalisation of salary payments through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, GIFMIS.

She also reviews staff records on the university’s administrative software platform and ensures the accuracy of financial computations relating to promotions, step increments and earned allowances.

The role has placed her at the intersection of staff administration and financial management, areas that require accuracy, accountability and close knowledge of university procedures.

Before assuming responsibility for Payroll and Personal Entitlements, Asuquo served as Head of the Treasury Section. She later rose to the position of Chief Accountant, a position she held from 2018 to 2023.

The progression reflects a career built across different areas of university financial administration rather than a single specialised function.

That breadth of experience is now set to be deployed in a much wider leadership role at Godswill Akpabio University.

A CAREER THAT BEGAN WITH ACADEMIC DISTINCTION

Long before her rise through the university accounting profession, Asuquo had established an impressive academic record.

She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Maiduguri in 1991. Her undergraduate performance earned her two distinctions, as the Best Graduating Student in Accounting and the Best Female Graduating Student in Accounting.

She subsequently obtained a Master of Business Administration from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, in 2000.

She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, one of the country’s leading professional accounting qualifications.

Her academic training, professional certification and years of practical experience have combined to position her for the responsibility of helping to build the financial administration of a new university.

FUNAAB VICE-CHANCELLOR CONGRATULATES ASUQUO

Reacting to the appointment, FUNAAB Vice-Chancellor, Professor Babatunde Kehinde, congratulated Asuquo and described the development as recognition of her professionalism, competence and commitment to excellence in university financial administration.

Kehinde expressed confidence that she would bring her wealth of experience and expertise to bear on the new assignment, particularly in establishing and leading the financial management structure of Godswill Akpabio University.

He also commended her contributions to the financial administration of FUNAAB and wished her success as she takes up the historic responsibility.

For a pioneer Bursar, the assignment goes beyond managing an already established financial structure.

The office-holder will be involved in developing systems, procedures and controls that can influence how the institution manages its finances, accounts for public resources and supports its academic and administrative operations as the university grows.

ANOTHER PROFESSIONAL MILESTONE FOR FUNAAB

The appointment also carries significance for FUNAAB itself. Over the years, the university has developed professionals who have taken their expertise beyond the institution to occupy senior positions in other universities and higher education institutions.

Asuquo’s appointment therefore adds to a broader record of FUNAAB-trained and experienced personnel contributing to university administration beyond the institution where they built their careers.

Her movement from Deputy Bursar at FUNAAB to pioneer Bursar of Godswill Akpabio University illustrates how professional experience developed within one institution can be transferred to the establishment and strengthening of another.

It also highlights the importance of universities not only as centres for teaching and research, but as training grounds for the administrators and professionals who keep the higher education system functioning.

FUNAAB’s Bursary Department is responsible for several areas of institutional financial administration, including budgeting and financial planning, treasury operations, payroll and personnel entitlements, financial reporting, taxation, statutory deductions, fixed assets and audit-related functions.

That institutional exposure provides a useful foundation for Asuquo’s new responsibility, particularly as she joins the team charged with building the financial architecture of Godswill Akpabio University.

ValidViewNetwork reports that Mrs Asuquo’s appointment represents not only a major milestone in her distinguished career, but also another recognition of the depth of professional expertise developed within FUNAAB over the years.

Her emergence as the pioneer Bursar of Godswill Akpabio University places her among several professionals produced by FUNAAB who have gone on to serve as principal officers and senior administrators in other universities across Nigeria.

The development underscores the wider institutional value of investing in professional capacity, as expertise nurtured within one university can ultimately contribute to the growth, governance and administration of other institutions in the nation’s higher education system.

As Mrs Asuquo assumes the historic responsibility of helping to establish the financial architecture of a new university, her appointment stands as both a personal achievement and another reflection of FUNAAB’s continuing contribution to the development of Nigeria’s university leadership and administrative capacity.