Professor Alache Ooga Amali is a Professional Counsellor who specialized in Career planning and development. She holds a Bachelor of Education degree in Physical and health education from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, a Master of Education in Guidance and Counselling from the University of Jos, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Guidance and Counselling from Benue State University Makurdi.
She joined the then University of Agriculture Makurdi, now Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University in 2001 as an assistant Lecturer and rose to the rank of a Professor in 2016.
Professor Alache Ooga Amali is a seasoned Teacher with a wealth of experience in the teaching profession having taught in the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary institutions.
She has attended numerous workshops, conferences, and seminars in teaching, guidance and counselling and psychology. She has also attended leadership training courses.
Professor Alache Ooga Amali has published both in local and international journals, has published books, and contributed chapters to other books. She has also served as editor to some professional journals. She is a member of the Counselling Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Society for Educational Psychologists, and the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.
Professor Alache Ooga Amali was appointed Director of Counselling and Human Development Centre on the 5th of July 2025, taking over from Professor Enechejo Grace Egbe-Okpenge.
The centre for counselling and human development in Joseph Sarwuan Tarka university Makurdi (JOSTUM) came into being in September 2011. Prior to this time, there was in existence a guidance and counselling unit under the student affairs division headed by Dr Ruth Adamu. The 2007 Reform of the Education sector precipitated the creation of an entirely new department of student support services, one of which is the Centre of Counselling and Human development.
The centre for Counselling and Human Development was established in 2011 under the then Vice Chancellor Professor E. I. Kucha and headed by Professor Enechejo, G. Egbe-Okpenge as the pioneer Director. In July 2025 Professor Alache, O. Amali took over from Professor Egbe-Okpenge as the second Director of the Centre.
To provide a safe environment with appropriate support services for the holistic development of the individual via provision of Vocational, Educational, and Personal Social guidance and counselling services for all categories of Students, Staff and the entire University Community.
Our vision is to see every member of the University Community thrive physically, mentally, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually by offering accessible and transformative guidance and counselling services.
Our vision is to see every member of the University Community thrive physically, mentally, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually by offering accessible and transformative guidance and counselling services.
The core mandate of the Student Support Services is the development of Career management initiatives such as Educational, Vocational and Personal-Social Guidance and especially Counselling for all categories of Students. The Centre for Counselling and Human development is mandated to fulfil this purpose through the various services it offers.
*Onboarding for newly promoted or recruited University staff
*Individual and group counselling( drug use and abuse, gambling, alcoholism, rape, sexual harassment, indecent dressing, etc)
*Vocational counselling
*Personal social counselling ( mental health, personal hygiene, anxiety, depression, relationships, cohabitation, etc)
*Workshop for Career development
*Information service on scholarship opportunity and employment opportunities
*Collaboration with other organisations for support and training of our students
