FUTA Scholar, Dr Ayodeji Oke, Wins Oxford AIG Public Leaders Programme Scholarship

Dr Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Quantity Surveying at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), has been admitted into the prestigious AIG Public Leaders Programme of the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, alongside the award of the highly competitive Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation Scholarship for the 2025 cohort.

The admission was conveyed in an official communication from the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, which congratulated Dr Oke on his exceptional professional record and confirmed his selection for the elite leadership programme, which commenced on October 6, 2025. The programme is designed for outstanding senior public-sector leaders across Africa with proven track records and strong potential for transformational leadership.

Dr Oke is a globally respected scholar, researcher, and academic administrator with a distinguished career in teaching, research, and public service. He holds a First Class Honours degree in Quantity Surveying and completed both his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in the same discipline. He currently serves as Associate Director at FUTA’s Centre for Research and Development (CERAD) and is the founder and team lead of the Research Group on Sustainable Infrastructure Management Plus (RG-SIM+).

An International Consultant with the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), Dr Oke holds memberships in several professional bodies, including the International Society of Energy and Built Environment, Green Building Council of Nigeria, Association of South African Quantity Surveyors, Industrial Engineering and Operations Management Society International (USA), Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, and the Nigerian Institute of Management, among others.

His scholarly impact cuts across multiple high-ranking international journals, where he serves as a reviewer, guest editor, and editorial board member. He is also the Corresponding Editor of the Quantity Surveyors Journal of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors.

Dr Oke’s research excellence has earned him several international recognitions, including the 2023 BIM Africa Research Excellence Award for his pioneering work in digital and innovative technologies in the construction industry. In 2024, he was invited by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to contribute to Nigeria’s first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. He is also a Peace Ambassador of the United Nations-affiliated International Association of World Peace Advocates and runs a foundation that supports global peace and sustainable development initiatives.

His career portfolio features numerous local and international grants and honours, including the AIG Public Leaders Programme Scholarship, the European Union-funded SPREE Staff Mobility Programme under the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme, the Global Excellence Stature Award (GES 4.0) for postdoctoral and senior research roles at the University of Johannesburg, Construction Industry Development Board (cidb) research support in South Africa, grants from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in Malaysia, multiple TETFUND interventions, and National Research Fund grants from South Africa.

A highly rated researcher, Dr Oke has taught and supervised students across several Nigerian and international institutions and served as an external examiner at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Since 2019, he has consistently been rated as a leading researcher by South Africa’s National Research Fund. He emerged as FUTA’s Best Lecturer in 2021 and was named Best Researcher in both 2023 and 2025 at the University’s Excellence and Productivity Awards. With over 500 scholarly publications, including 13 authored books and three edited volumes, he currently ranks among the top 2 per cent most-cited scientists globally, according to Stanford University and Elsevier since 2023.

The Vice-Chancellor of FUTA, Professor Adenike Oladiji, has congratulated Dr Oke on his admission into the Oxford-based leadership programme and the award of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation Scholarship, describing the achievement as a reflection of his unwavering commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and public service. She noted that his accomplishments continue to enhance the global visibility and reputation of the University.