FUL Marks Leadership Milestone as New Vice-Chancellor Announced
On this day, five years after the historic appointment of Professor Olayemi Durotimi Akinwumi as the 3rd Substantive Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), the University has announced its 4th Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye, following a transparent and merit-based selection process.
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On this day, five years after the historic appointment of Professor Olayemi Durotimi Akinwumi as the 3rd Substantive Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), the University has announced its 4th Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye, following a transparent and merit-based selection process.
Professor Akinwumi, a Professor of African History and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), assumed office on 15th February 2021 after emerging from a pool of 80 candidates. He succeeded Professor Angela Freeman Miri, whose five-year tenure concluded in February 2021. Under his leadership, FUL achieved significant milestones in academic culture consolidation, infrastructural development, programme expansion, staff and student welfare, and national prominence.
Continuing the legacy of excellence, the 4th Governing Council, chaired by Professor Zubairu Tajo Abdallah, announced Professor Ibileye, a Professor of Discourse Analysis and Pragmatics and immediate past Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies, as the new Vice-Chancellor. Professor Ibileye emerged first among eleven shortlisted candidates from an initial pool of 38 applicants, following a rigorous interview and selection process. His tenure begins 15th February 2026, immediately after Professor Akinwumi’s administration concludes.
Registrar and Secretary to Council, Dr. Rebecca Aimiohu Okojie, highlighted the outgoing Vice-Chancellor’s impactful contributions, noting the record of institutional growth, stability, and enhanced relevance. Notably, while Professor Akinwumi was the first indigenous Vice-Chancellor from Kogi State, Professor Ibileye is the first professor from FUL to be appointed to the esteemed office. Both leaders hail from Ekirin-Adde in Ijumu Local Government Area, underlining a remarkable continuity in local leadership.
The appointment marks a new chapter in FUL’s evolution as one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing universities, reflecting its commitment to meritocracy, academic excellence, and transformative leadership.
