Introducing Professor Akan Bassey Williams
Professor Akan Bassey Williams was born on 16 February 1970 in Calabar, Cross River State. He hails from Itoko, Ibesikpo, in the Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
He began his education at Primary School, Fosbery Road, Calabar, and later attended Lutheran High School, Obot Idim, Ibesikpo, in 1981. There, he completed his secondary education in 1986 as the School’s Senior Prefect.
Professor Williams holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Calabar (1991), an M.Sc. in Petroleum Chemistry from the University of Port Harcourt (2001), and a Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry from Covenant University (2011).
He has completed 21 Coursera certifications, along with several others from the Virtual Institute for Capacity Building in Higher Education (VICBHE), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Academy, and the HAQAA2 MOOC Series on quality assurance in African higher education.
Academic Career and Experience
Professor Williams began his university teaching career at the University of Uyo before joining Covenant University as an Assistant Lecturer on 1 September 2004. He steadily rose through the ranks and was promoted to full Professor of Chemistry in December 2017, effective from 1 January 2018.
Specialising in Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, he has been part of the Nigerian university system for over 23 years. At Covenant University, he served as Director of the Central Instrumentation Research Facility (CUCIRF), Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies, and Chairman of the Committee of Deans. He was also Acting Vice-Chancellor and later Deputy Vice-Chancellor before being appointed as the sixth Vice-Chancellor in 2020.
His leadership roles include Head of the Department of Chemistry, Director of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, Director of Academic Planning, and Dean of Students. He chaired the Senate Business Committee for three years and has led or participated in about 25 standing and ad hoc committees.
Professional Engagement and Recognition
Professor Williams has been an External Examiner and professorial assessor for universities both in Nigeria and abroad, including the University of Johannesburg, the University of Fort Hare in South Africa, the University of Sierra Leone, Bharathiar University, and the University of Madras in India.
He is a Fellow of the Chemical Society of Nigeria and the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria. He also holds membership with the Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Chemical Society. Formerly Chairman of the Chemical Society of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, he has contributed to accreditation exercises and student mentorship programmes across many universities.
His research focuses on tracking persistent organic pollutants in the environment and using biological materials for environmental clean-up. He has supervised several Master’s dissertations and five Ph.D. theses. As a public speaker and Chief Orator at Covenant University, he has delivered lectures and speeches at academic and community events across Nigeria and beyond.
Professor Williams has published over 110 papers in international journals, encyclopaedias, and conference proceedings. He remains active in various research groups and regularly attends academic conferences and workshops.
Awards and Service
Among his many honours are awards for excellence in leadership and training, including recognition as the Best Former Vice-Chancellor at VICBHE modules on Artificial Intelligence in higher education and grant proposal writing. The Ibesikpo Union and Clan Council of Ibesikpo Kingdom also presented him with an Award of Leadership Excellence.
He serves on the Board of Trustees of Book Aid for Africa (BAFA). Beyond academia, Professor Williams has been active in ministry, serving as a Deacon in the Living Faith Church Worldwide from 2001 to 2008 and as a Pastor since 2009 in several capacities. He has also taught at the Word of Faith Bible Institute (WOFBI) at all levels.
He is married to Deaconess Lifted Williams, and they have two sons, Divine and Dominion.
