Leadership transitions often define the next chapter of a university’s story. At Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, that responsibility now rests on the shoulders of Professor Tomola Obamuyi, a banking and finance scholar whose academic journey has taken him from lecture halls in Nigeria to international conferences across several continents.
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approved Obamuyi’s appointment as the new Vice-Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, following his emergence as the top candidate among 15 contenders interviewed by the institution’s Joint Council and Senate Selection Board.
The appointment, announced in a statement on Friday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, followed the recommendation of the university’s Governing Council chaired by Dr Tunji Abayomi.
Obamuyi, a professor of Banking and Finance, will succeed the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olugbenga Ige.
According to the statement, the appointment was made “following the due recommendation of the Governing Council of the institution, chaired by Dr Tunji Abayomi, in line with the University’s Act and extant regulations.”
Before his appointment, Obamuyi served as Head of the Department of Banking and Finance at AAUA and was the first substantive Dean of the School of Management Technology at the Federal University of Technology, Akure.
His academic accomplishments extend beyond Nigeria. In 2015, he was named the Best Professor of Banking and Finance in Africa by the Africa Education Leadership Awards in Mauritius. He has also served on National Universities Commission accreditation teams and was Chairperson and Subject Expert of the Review Panel for Namibia’s National Council for Higher Education.
According to the statement, Obamuyi has presented academic papers at conferences in Finland, the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, Ireland, Ghana, Zambia, Uganda, Ethiopia, India and the United States.
“Obamuyi will bring to the office decades of academic excellence, administrative experience, and a strong record of research and institutional development,” the statement read.
Governor Aiyedatiwa expressed confidence that the new Vice-Chancellor’s experience would consolidate the gains already recorded by the institution and further strengthen its teaching, research and community service.
The governor also urged Obamuyi to uphold the university’s core values while promoting peace, innovation and collaboration among staff, students and other stakeholders.
He further assured that the Ondo State Government would continue to support Adekunle Ajasin University in maintaining its position as one of Nigeria’s leading state-owned universities.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.