Prof Okubanjo to assume duty as Provost ABU Postgraduate College

Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has announced the appointment of Professor Oluyinka Oluseyi Okubanjo as the new Provost of its Postgraduate College. He will officially assume office on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

Prof. Okubanjo, a scholar in the Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, has previously served as Deputy Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies (now Postgraduate College) as well as Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. His appointment, approved last week by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, is for a renewable two-year tenure. He succeeds Prof. Muhammad Nasiru Shuaibu.

The new Provost is tasked with instituting reforms that reflect ABU’s vision and mission, while aligning postgraduate education with global best practices. His mandate includes strengthening international collaborations, particularly in Transnational Education (TNE), through dual-degree programmes, joint supervision, faculty exchanges, and research partnerships.

Prof. Okubanjo is also expected to design and coordinate postgraduate programmes that enhance TETFund-supported scholar training across the 14 disciplines assigned to ABU, while expanding access through flexible, inclusive, and technology-driven models such as hybrid and online programmes.

The Vice-Chancellor described the appointment as strategic, noting Prof. Okubanjo’s experience as a former Deputy Dean of the College and his record as a seasoned researcher and reform-minded academic. “His appointment comes at a crucial time, as ABU has been entrusted with the national responsibility of leading the domestication of the TETFund Academic Staff Training and Development (AST&D) scheme and advancing Transnational Education partnerships,” Prof. Ahmed said.

The new Provost is expected to leverage these opportunities to position ABU’s Postgraduate College as a hub for academic excellence, innovation, and national development.