Dr. Vincent Iorja Gisaor

Vincent Iorja Gisaor was born over 40 years ago, at Ivenge, Mbausu, Mbadede, Vandeikya Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria, into the amiable family of Mr. Michael Gisaor Akur and Mrs. Mary Ngoundu Gisaor. He is the third out of 10 siblings (5 boys & 5 girls) who are all surviving. He attended LGEA Primary School Ivenge, Mbausu between 1988 and 1993 where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC). He thereafter attended Mbawuar Community Secondary School Ihugh and Padopads Harmony Secondary School, Makurdi for his Junior Secondary School between 1993 and 1997 and Abege Memorial Secondary School, Vandeikya between 1997 and 1999 where he obtained the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

The young Gisaor proceeded to the College of Advanced and Professional Studies (CAPS), Makurdi between 2000 and 2002 and graduated with one of the best result in the Interim Joint Matriculation Board Examinations (IJMBE) in 2002. With an excellent IJMBE result, he easily gained Direct Entry admission into the prestigious Benue State University, Makurdi in 2002 to study Economics. In 2005, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Economics Degree with Second Class Upper Division and was the first Direct Entry student to obtain the grade in Economics Department. Upon completion of his mandatory NYSC programme at the Office of the Head of Civil Service, Gombe, in Gombe State in 2007, he immediately enrolled into the Benue State University Postgraduate School in 2008 and successfully obtained his Master of Science Economics Degree in 2010.

When sponsorship of his two foreign admissions in United Kingdom was delayed by TEDFUND; he opted to become a home grown breed and was admitted for the third time at the Benue State University in 2012 for a PhD programme in Economics. To the glory of God, he successfully defended his PhD Thesis before a Panel of External Examiners and was awarded PhD in Economics on 14th November, 2016. Dr Gisaor again enrolled into the Law programme of the Faculty of Law, Benue State University in 2017 and graduated in 2023 with a Bachelor of Laws Degree with Second Class Upper Division. This wonderful result in the Law Faculty collaborated with the earlier Second Class Upper Degree in Economics to the effect that, Gisaor has possessed high quantitative and qualitative acumen.

In his career, Dr Gisaor taught briefly at Padopads Harmony Secondary School Makurdi between 2005 and 2008. He worked as Legislative Secretary and Aide to Senator Joseph Akaagerger in National Assembly Abuja between 2008 and 2011 where he was trained as a draftsman, legislative researcher, electoral manager and budget expert. Over the years, he has been responsible for most motions and bills presented in the National Assembly and Benue State House of Assembly by Lawmakers of Benue extraction. He was also trained by the MDGs office in Abuja as a technical expert in MDGs projects coordination, monitoring and evaluation.

Dr Gisaor joined the services of the Federal University, Wukari – Nigeria in 2012 as an Assistant Lecturer and rose to the rank of Associate Professor of Economics on 1st October, 2022 via an accelerated promotion, a feat only attainable by exceptional researchers. At the Federal University Wukari, Dr. Gisaor has published 14 books/book chapters, 55 scholarly journals, some of which are visible on Google Scholar, Academia.edu and ResearchGate. He has 8 conference papers and has so far supervised over 50 undergraduates’ and 6 Postgraduates projects. He has also served his university in several other capacities including representative of the Faculty of Humanities, Management and Social Sciences in the University Time Table committee since the inception of the university. He is the Staff Adviser to both National Union of Benue State Students (NUBESS) and Community of Tiv Students (CTS) in the Federal University Wukari.

He is the External Examiner, Department of Economics, Kwararafa University Wukari, Taraba State for 2022- 2023 and 2023 -2024 Sessions and a Resource Person, Postgraduate School, Kwararafa University Wukari, Taraba State since 2022. He is a member of Editorial Board: Advances in Economics and Business. Horizons Research Publishing Corporation, United States of America; Member of Editorial Board: Global Journal of Accounting and Economy Research. ARF India Academic Open Access Publishing; Reviewer: Federal University Wukari Journal of Economics, Management and Social Sciences, Wukari, Nigeria. Reviewer: Faculty of Humanities, Management and Social Science Journal, Federal University Wukari, Nigeria. Professionally, Dr Gisaor is a Member, The Nigerian Economic Society (NES), Abuja, Nigeria and Associate Member, International Society for Development and Sustainability, Japan.

Dr. Gisaor has specialty in procurement and has participated in numerous procurement trainings as a resource person in Yobe 2021, Benue 2022 and Nasarawa 2022, and has researched seriously on Public Procurement including publishing in the Journal of Public Procurement published by the Bureau of Public Procurement, Abuja. His Long Essay at the Faculty of Law, Benue State University on the title “An Appraisal of the Public Procurement Act, 2007” gave him the necessary knowledge to advocate firmly for reformation of the Benue State Procurement Commission.

As part of community development, Dr. Gisaor facilitated the allocation of several community development projects in Benue North East Senatorial District when serving in the National Assembly. In addition to presenting a developing plan for Mbausu in 2018, Dr Gisaor has trained many graduates and has facilitated and supported the admission of many in tertiary institutions across Nigeria. He also has few employments to his credit particularly in the Army, Police and Federal University Wukari.

When Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia joined partisan politics to lead Benue State, he appointed Dr Gisaor as the secretary of the policy blueprint that passes several stages into the “Strategic Development Plan for a Greater Benue”. Further, Dr Gisaor was appointed the secretary of the budget review committee that carefully and mechanically refocused the Benue State 2023 budget. This singular action averted initial borrowings by the state and also necessitated provision of logistics to political appointees, newly inaugurated assembly members and newly appointed Justices of the Benue State High Court. He was also a member of the Task Force on implementation of projects within 100 days in office.

Dr. Gisaor is an honest, humble, competent and most importantly very dedicated economist of our time with several awards including Vice Chancellor, Federal University Wukari Award for the Outstanding Academic Staff for year 2015. He is married to Mrs Abigail Kpenbeen Gisaor and the union is blessed with four beautiful children – Lucy Ngohide Gisaor, Ann Torkwase Gisaor, Paul Torva Gisaor and Peter Torkuma Gisaor.