FUOYE Appoints Professor Ogunwole As New Vice Chancellor

The Governing Council of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), has appointed Professor Joshua Ogunwole as the institution’s fifth substantive Vice-Chancellor.

The announcement was made in Abuja on Thursday by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, following what he described as a rigorous and transparent selection process.

According to Ndoma-Egba, the appointment came after months of a carefully structured recruitment exercise that combined digital and manual verification methods to ensure credibility. He explained that the process began in February 2025 with a public advertisement of the position, in line with legal requirements mandating six weeks of publication in national newspapers.

He revealed that a total of 64 online applications were received. After multiple rounds of assessment, six finalists were screened by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Ekiti State before the council approved the appointment of Professor Ogunwole as the most qualified candidate for the position.

Professor Ogunwole, who holds his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, is a Professor of Soil Physics and currently serves in the Department of Soil Science and Land Resource Management at FUOYE. He previously served as Vice-Chancellor of Bowen University and has held academic and administrative roles, including Director of University Advancement and Linkages at the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma.

Born and raised in Kaduna, Ogunwole began his professional career as Manager of Yula Farms between 1990 and 1992 before moving fully into academia. His experience in agricultural research and university administration spans more than three decades. He is expected to officially assume office as FUOYE Vice-Chancellor in February 2026.

The appointment comes amid internal controversy surrounding the succession process. A group of university staff had petitioned the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, urging him to suspend the recruitment over allegations of irregularities and a lack of transparency. Despite the petition, the governing council proceeded with the process, maintaining that due process was followed at every stage.

With Ogunwole’s appointment, FUOYE begins a new chapter in its leadership, ending months of speculation over the direction of the university’s management as it prepares for its next academic phase.