FIC Report Oyo State) – The Governing Council of the University of Ibadan (UI) has appointed Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba as the institution’s 14th Vice-Chancellor.
The appointment was announced on Wednesday by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Chief Adebisi Akande, after the council approved the recommendation of the Joint Council-Senate Selection Board at the end of a competitive selection process.
Olapegba, a professor in the Department of Psychology and the university’s current Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), will take over from the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale, whose tenure ends on November 1, 2026.
Speaking during the announcement, Akande said the process for appointing a new vice-chancellor was initiated in line with the University Act ahead of the expiration of Adebowale’s tenure.
He explained that the university advertised the vacancy in three national newspapers in April 2026, attracting six applications from qualified candidates.
According to him, the Governing Council later constituted a search team, as required by law, to identify other eligible academics who had not initially applied. The exercise produced two additional applications, bringing the total number of candidates to eight.
Akande said all eight candidates appeared before the council on Tuesday, July 21, for an assessment during which members independently evaluated and scored them based on approved criteria.
The exercise, he said, produced five finalists who progressed to the final stage of the selection process.
He added that the Governing Council nominated two of its members to serve on the Joint Council-Senate Selection Board, while the University Senate elected two representatives to participate in the exercise.
According to Akande, the selection board interviewed the five shortlisted candidates on Wednesday before recommending Olapegba as the most qualified candidate for the position.
He described the exercise as transparent, thorough and competitive, noting that the Governing Council unanimously endorsed the recommendation.
“It is, therefore, my pleasure to present to you the 14th Vice-Chancellor of this great university, the University of Ibadan, Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba. We wish him success in his tenure,” Akande said.
Olapegba’s appointment makes him the 14th substantive Vice-Chancellor of Nigeria’s premier university, succeeding Kayode Adebowale after a selection process conducted in accordance with the institution’s statutory provisions.
Report by Israel Arogbonlo, I&PROII.
FIC, Ibadan.
