The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has approved the appointment of Professor Joseph Babatola Ayodele as the new Vice Chancellor of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti.
Professor Ayodele, who is currently the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) of the university, will assume office as the new Vice Chancellor on August 20, 2024. He takes over from Professor Edward Olanipekun, whose tenure as Vice Chancellor ends on August 19, 2024.
A Professor of Education Management, Ayodele was born on August 13, 1963 in Ikere-Ekiti, Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti State. He attended Annunciation School, Ikere-Ekiti from 1974 to 1979 and later obtained his Nigeria Certificate in Education from the Ondo State College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti between 1982 and 1985.
Ayodele holds a First Class Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree in Economics from the Ondo State University (now Ekiti State University), Ado-Ekiti, which he obtained in 1992. He also has a Master’s degree in Education Management from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, which he bagged in 1997, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education Management from the same university in 2000.
Professor Ayodele started his lecturing career as a Graduate Assistant at Ondo State University (now Ekiti State University), Ado-Ekiti, in 1995 and rose through the ranks to become a Professor in 2012. He has served the university in various capacities, including Assistant Director of Affiliate Programmes, Acting Head of the Department of Educational Foundations and Management, Dean of the Faculty of Education, and Director of the Directorate of Continuing Education Programmes/Distance Learning.
In his remarks, Governor Oyebanji, who is the Visitor to the University, urged the new Vice Chancellor to utilize his wealth of experience as an academic and seasoned administrator to reposition EKSU as a world-class institution of learning. The Governor also thanked the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Professor Edward Olanipekun, for his meritorious service to the university and wished him success in his future endeavors.