The University of Ibadan has named Prof. Peter Olapegba as its 14th vice-chancellor after emerging as the successful candidate in a competitive selection process conducted by the institution’s governing council.
The appointment was announced on Wednesday, by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Chief Adebisi Akande, following the council’s approval of the recommendation submitted by the Joint Council-Senate Selection Board.
Akande explained that the process to appoint a new vice-chancellor was initiated ahead of the completion of the current vice-chancellor’s tenure, which officially ends on November 1, 2026, in accordance with the provisions of the University Act.
He noted that the university advertised the vacancy in April 2026, through three national newspapers, attracting six applications from qualified academics.
Read Also:
- 2 University of Ibadan students win competition organised by French Embassy
- IGP Egbetokun to address University of Ibadan at convocation lecture today
- Olubadan willing to partner UCLA, others to boost healthcare delivery in Ibadan
To widen the pool of candidates, the governing council said it subsequently constituted a search team, as stipulated by the university’s regulations, to identify additional eligible individuals who had not applied.
The initiative resulted in two more applications, increasing the total number of candidates to eight.
According to Akande, all eight applicants appeared before the governing council on Tuesday, July 21, where each candidate was evaluated independently by council members using approved assessment criteria.
At the end of the exercise, five candidates emerged as the highest-ranked contenders and advanced to the final phase of the selection process based on their overall performance.
The pro-chancellor disclosed that the governing council appointed two of its members to serve on the Joint Council-Senate Selection Board, while the university’s Senate had earlier elected two representatives to participate in the final interviews.
The selection board interviewed the five shortlisted candidates on Wednesday, before unanimously recommending Prof. Olapegba as the most qualified candidate for the position.
Akande described the entire recruitment exercise as rigorous, transparent and merit-driven, adding that the governing council accepted the board’s recommendation without dissent.
“It is my pleasure to introduce Prof. Peter Olapegba as the 14th vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan. We wish him a successful and impactful tenure,” Akande said.
Prof. Olapegba, who currently serves as the university’s deputy vice-chancellor (administration), is also a professor in the department of psychology.
He is expected to assume office following the expiration of the incumbent vice-chancellor’s tenure on November 1, 2026.
