The University of Ibadan (UI) has commenced a new chapter in its financial administration with the assumption of office of Mrs. Mariam Adetoun Zakariyah as the institution’s 10th Bursar and first female occupant of the position.
Zakariyah formally began her five-year tenure on September 20, 2026, following her appointment by the University’s Governing Council at its meeting on July 9, 2026.
Her appointment marks the culmination of more than two decades of service in the University’s Bursary Department, where she began her career on August 29, 2000, as a Higher Executive Officer (Accounts) in the Loans and Advances Section.
Over the years, she rose through the ranks, serving as a Finance Officer across various faculties, institutes and the Postgraduate College before attaining the position of Chief Accountant in the Treasury Office. She was appointed Deputy Bursar in 2019, a position she held until her elevation to the Bursar’s office.
As Deputy Bursar, Zakariyah was involved in the management of financial operations across several faculties, institutes and departments, with responsibilities covering financial control, reporting and service delivery.
Her career at UI has also been marked by initiatives aimed at strengthening financial systems and improving operational efficiency. Among her achievements was the digitisation of the Receivable Unit through an electronic receipt system, which reportedly reduced paper usage by 80 per cent and helped curb revenue leakages.
She also coordinated the clearance of financial statement backlogs covering 2016 to 2019 and helped institutionalise tax compliance procedures, reducing regulatory queries.
Through proactive monitoring of the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), she ensured that staff salaries were processed within 48 hours of fund releases, while she also played a role in addressing the NELFUND refund process.
Zakariyah was also involved in the procurement of the JOEL JEM 1400 Flash Transmission Electron Microscope for the University, described as the only equipment of its kind in West Africa, a process that reportedly saved the institution millions of naira.
Beyond the Bursary Department, she has contributed to the University’s financial governance through membership of several committees, including the Bursary Management Committee, University Finance Management Committee, Postgraduate School Procurement Committee and Finance Management Committee of the Board of the Postgraduate School.
She has also participated in Council-level committees, including the Budget Monitoring Committee of Council, Finance and General-Purpose Committee of Council and Council Sub-Committee on Audit Matters, as well as Final Accounts Stakeholders’ Meetings.
Zakariyah’s professional credentials include fellowship of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), which she attained in 2014, after becoming an Associate of the institute in 2002.
Her professional achievements began early in her career. In 1998, she was recognised as the Overall Best Graduating Student in Accountancy at The Polytechnic Ibadan. She also received the Best Graduating Female Accounting Student Award from the Society for Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN) and the Best Student Award of the National Association of Polytechnic Accountancy Students (NAPAS), The Polytechnic Ibadan Chapter.
In 2020, she received the SWAN Award for Woman of Excellence.
Born on October 19, 1975, in Ibadan, Oyo State, Zakariyah, née Adegbite, hails from Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State.
She attended Alafia Nursery and Primary School, Ibadan, where she obtained her Primary School Leaving Certificate in 1986, and St. Louis Girls’ Grammar School, Ibadan, from 1986 to 1992.
She obtained a National Diploma in Accountancy from The Polytechnic Ibadan in 1996 and a Higher National Diploma in Accountancy from the same institution in 1998.
She later obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, in 2007, an MBA from the University of Ibadan in 2014 and a Master of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Ibadan in 2021. She also holds a Diploma in Information Technology from HiiT Plc, Ibadan.
A devout Muslim, Zakariyah is married with children.
The new Bursar has assumed duties at the University of Ibadan, where she is expected to oversee the institution’s financial administration during her five-year tenure.
