Many people don't know this, but in every Federal University, there are at least 4 people/bodies that are above the Vice Chancellor- the visitor, the pro chancellor, the chancellor, the governing council and the senate. The Vice-Chancellor runs the university while the Chancellor doesn't. The VC is the chief executive and academic officer, so he has to be on campus every day. The Chancellor however is a ceremonial head, often a traditional ruler, who usually shows up only for big ceremonial events like the convocation to confer degrees. In Nigerian federal universities, the VC holds the most executive power, but he doesn't have the final word. There are two bodies above him and their roles are different and dependent on the matter at hand. The first is the Governing Council which is the highest policy body. It controls finances, property, senior appointments and general policy. The VC is a member and is accountable to it. The council usually appoints the VC and can, through due process, remove him. There can be serious clashes between the Pro Chancellor and the VC sometimes. And it does get messy. The second is the Senate which is the supreme academic authority. It handles admissions, curricula, examinations and the award of degrees. The VC is the head of the Senate, but its decisions bind him because they are collective. So the VC executes, while Council and Senate set the boundaries he works within. The Pro-Chancellor chairs the Governing Council, and the President, who is the "Visitor", appoints him. The President also appoints the Chancellor. The President usually appoints the Pro-Chancellor and the external members, who represent various interests. The Federal Ministry of Education also has a representative. The remaining members of the council are from the institution: the VC, the DVCs, and people elected from Senate, Congregation and Convocation. So to the question- why is the VC available unlike the Chancellor? That's simply because the VC has to be around to effectively run the admnistration of the institution. The Pro Chancellor and Chancellor however can only be around once a while as they have thier Primary duties elsewhere and the appointment is only a secondary one.