By Orowo Victoria Ojieh
The Governing Council of the First Technical University, Ibadan, has appointed Prof. Adesola Ajayi as its new Vice-Chancellor.
Prof. Ajayi was appointed to succeed the pioneer Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayobami Salami, whose term as Vice-Chancellor expired on 8th March 2022.
The appointment follows the Council’s consideration of the recommendation of the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board at its Special Meeting held on Monday, 7th March 2022. The single term of five (5) years appointment will take effect from May 9, 2022.
The vacancy for this position of the University Vice-Chancellor was announced in daily newspapers on 6th December, 2021,14 Professors applied for the position and 8 were shortlisted.
The eight shortlisted applicants were then invited for interaction with the Joint Council Senate Selection Board which met on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday, 3rd March 2022.
After a severe exercise in accordance with the University’s establishment Laws, Professor Ajayi emerged as the University’s new Vice-Chancellor.
Professor Ajayi is an agricultural scientist with more than 20 years’ research and management experience in Nigeria, South Africa, Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom. Prof. Ajayi has vast research and industry experience and has published widely on seed science and technology, crop field agronomy with focus on improving crop productivity through germplasm conservation and enhancement, and on the impact of climate change on food security.
The newly appointed Vice-Chancellor is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of First Technical University, he is a Professor of Crop Science.
He obtained B.Agric. in Plant Science (First Class Honours) with the best overall result in the Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in 1991, he also obtained master of philosophy degree from the same University, M.Phil. (Plant Science) Specialization Plant Breeding/SeedProduction, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife 1997. He bagged the Doctor of Agricultural Science (Dr. sc. agr.) degree in Seed Biology from Christian Albrecht University, Kiel, Germany in 2003.
Prof. Ajayi has won several scholarships, fellowships, honours and awards.
He is 53 years old, hails from Igbojaye, in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State, is happily married to Ibiyemi Adeloyin Ajayi and they are blessed with four children.
