Tech-U Council Appoints New Vice Chancellor
The Governing Council of the First Technical University, Ibadan, has appointed Prof. Adesola Ajayi as its new Vice Chancellor.
This is contained in a release signed and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by Prof. Olanike Adeyemo, Protem Council Chairman.
According to the release, Ajayi was appointed to succeed the pioneer Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayobami Salami, whose term as Vice-Chancellor expired on 8th March, 2022.
“The appointment followed 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 appointment is for a single term of five (5) years and would take effect from 9th May, 2022.
“Prof. Ajayi emerged after a rigorous exercise, in accordance with the University’s establishment Laws.
“The vacancy for the position was announced in daily newspapers on 6th December 2021 and out of 14 Professors that applied for the position, eight were shortlisted.
They were then invited for interaction with the Joint Council-Senate Selection Board which met on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday, 3rd March, 2022,” The statement read.
Prof. Sola Ajayi, the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, was the current Deputy Vice-Chancellor of First Technical University prior to his appointment.
The new Vice Chancellor aged 53, hails from Igbojaye in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State, and he is happily married to Ibiyemi Adeloyin Ajayi and they are blessed with four children.
Ajayi, a Professor of Crop Science, 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 from the same University the M.Phil. (Plant Science) degree with specialisation in Plant Breeding/Seed Production in 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 among which are the Climate Impacts Research Capacity and Leadership Enhancement Programme (CIRCLE) Champion Award by CIRCLE Visiting Fellows (CVF), 2021.
Others were Green Award by the National Association of Agricultural Students (NAAS, OAU, Ile-Ife) as the most-liked lecturer in the Department of Crop Production and Protection, OAU, Ile-Ife (2017); and DAAD Re-Invitation Fellowship (2007), to mention just a few.
Prof. Ajayi was appointed Graduate Assistant at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife on 15th December 1993 and was promoted to the rank of Professor on 1st October, 2010.
He was Visiting Scholar at Pioneer Hi-bred International, Pandorf, Austria (2000-2002); Postdoctoral Fellow at Cell Biology Research Unit, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa (2003-2005).
He has also been Visiting Scholar at Goethe University, Frankfurt, am Main, Germany (2013); Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK.
