The UI Project is a Continuum, Says VC

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, has described the development of the University as a continuous and collective responsibility which requires every generation to sustain its legacy and raise the bar.

He made this known at the September 2026 edition of the Senior Staff Club Monthly Discourse held to mark the end of his tenure as Vice-Chancellor. The discourse was themed Our UI Project: How Far?

Professor Adebowale said history provides direction and helps institutions understand the foundation upon which present achievements are built, noting that the University's development is a continuum that requires collective ownership.

He recalled that the University began with its first three Principals, Professors Kenneth Mellanby, J. T. Saunders and J. H. Parry, before Professor Kenneth Onwuka Dike became its first indigenous Principal and later Vice-Chancellor. He noted that early leaders laid a strong foundation that has enabled the institution to maintain its position as a leading university in Nigeria and West Africa.

He identified excellence, integrity and service as the tripod upon which the University was built, stressing that successive administrations had contributed to its growth and that advancing the institution remains the responsibility of all stakeholders.

Reflecting on his tenure, Professor Adebowale said significant progress was recorded in academic development, research, global engagement, human capital, service delivery, infrastructure and student support.

He explained that the University operates a committee system in which responsibilities are distributed, stressing that the Vice-Chancellor cannot function as a king or emperor who handles every matter at will.

According to him, his administration strengthened academic programmes, research and international partnerships, improved service delivery and staff development, and upheld institutional stability.

He highlighted the University's growing international profile through initiatives such as the Pan African University Life and Earth Sciences Institute, which has students from 46 African countries, the African Research Universities Alliance, the U7+ Alliance and the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa, which supported 43 PhD Fellows with postdoctoral and external grants exceeding $4 million between 2010 and 2026.

He disclosed that approval is being sought from the Federal Ministry of Education to recruit more staff and listed other interventions to include digitalisation of key services, rehabilitation of 15 critical internal roads covering about 10 kilometres, participation in the NELFUND scheme, hybrid power interventions, accreditation exercises and professional programme verification.

He said the University's transition to becoming a postgraduate university remains a major objective, adding that the UI Distance Learning Centre has continued to record progress.

Professor Adebowale concluded that the goal of his administration was not merely to preserve what it inherited but to sustain the legacy and raise the standard for future generations.

The Chairman of the Discourse, Professor Olabode Lucas, described the University of Ibadan as a national asset comparable to important national symbols such as the currency, coat of arms and national anthem, noting its role as a major centre for producing high-level manpower.

The President of the Senior Staff Club, Dr Oluwafemi Oyamakin, said the Monthly Discourse was conceived as a platform for scientists, humanists, administrators and other professionals to engage with issues affecting the University, the nation and the world.

The programme featured Mr Onafowote Fatai Idowu, Director-General, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, and Professor Olubukola Stella Adesina of the Department of Political Science as discussants.