By Peter Omopo
Oyo, Nigeria | July 8, 2025 — In a historic development, the Governing Council of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State, has appointed Professor Ebunoluwa Oduwole as the institution’s first female Vice-Chancellor since its founding.
The announcement was made on Tuesday through an official statement released by the university, marking a significant milestone in both the university’s history and Nigeria’s higher education landscape.
Professor Oduwole, a seasoned academic and administrator, will assume the role from the current Vice-Chancellor, Professor Timothy Adebayo, whose five-year term is set to conclude in the coming months. Her appointment follows a competitive and rigorous selection process aimed at identifying a transformative leader for the next phase of the university’s growth.
“Oduwole brings on board an exceptional wealth of experience in university administration, spanning over 39 years of service in the Nigerian university system,” the university’s statement noted, praising her leadership track record and commitment to academic excellence.
A renowned scholar, Professor Oduwole holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Ibadan, where she also earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Philosophy. She further obtained a Master of Science in Bioethics through a joint programme offered by Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands), and the University of Padova (Italy), under a prestigious European consortium.
Her appointment has been widely celebrated as a breakthrough for gender inclusion in Nigerian academia, inspiring hope for greater representation of women in leadership roles across higher education institutions.
