UNIBEN mourns the death of Nigeria’s first female Vice Chancellor, Alele-Williams.

The Vice-Chancellor, University of Benin, Prof. Lilian Salami, on behalf of the Governing Council mourns the passing away of Professor Grace Alele-Williams, Nigeria’s first female university Vice Chancellor.

Alele Williams, who was also the first female Nigerian to bag a doctorate degree passed on at the of 89.

In a statement issued by the University of Benin’s spokesperson, Dr Benedicta Ehanire, she said Prof. Lilian Salami, current vice-chancellor of the institution on behalf of the university community mourned the passing of her predecessor.

Salami, the second female vice-chancellor in the institution after Alele-Williams, described the late former and first female vice-chancellor as an iconic giant for breaking the glass ceiling for other women to blossom.

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“The Vice-Chancellor, University of Benin, Prof. Lilian Salami, on behalf of the Governing Council, Management, Staff, Alumni and Students, mourns the passing of her predecessor, Prof. Grace Alele- Williams.

“Prof. Salami described the late former and first female vice-chancellor of the University of Benin as an iconic giant who broke the glass ceiling for other women to blossom,’’ Dr Ehanire stated.

Prof. Alele-Williams, Nigeria’s first female professor of Mathematics Education was born on Dec. 16, 1932 in Delta to an Itsekiri mother and Owan father from Sobe, Edo.

Though there hasn’t been official confirmation by the deceased’s family, Premium Times reported that the retired professor died on Friday, March 25, 2022.

Mrs Alele-Williams was an educationist who made history by becoming the first Nigerian female VC at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Edo State.

She attended Government School, Warri; Queen’s College, Lagos and the University College, Ibadan, now University of Ibadan.