Nigeria’s first female Vice Chancellor, Grace Alele-Williams has died at the age of 89.

Ms Alele-Williams, a professor of mathematics gained prominence after she was appointed the vice-chancellor of the prestigious University of Benin in 1985.

Her tenure witnessed a drastic reduction in cultism, a menace in UNIBEN at the time.

Before her appointment as vice-chancellor, she made history as the first Nigerian woman to obtain a doctorate degree in Mathematics education in 1963, a rare feat in the sixties.

President Muhammadu Buhari had felicitated with the former VC on her 89th birthday in December 2021, applauding her role in sanitising UNIBEN of cultism.

“President Buhari congratulates the educationist on her achievements over many years, inspired by vision and hard work, becoming the first woman to earn a Ph.D in Nigeria (1963), and using her resources to create opportunities for other women, particularly in getting education,” partly read the statement issued by Mr Buhari’s spokesperson, Femi Adesina.

The circumstances surrounding her death are unclear as at the time of filing this report.