Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has approved the appointment of Professor Joseph Babatola Ayodele as the new Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti.
Professor Ayodele, a Professor of Education Management, was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of the University until this appointment.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, the governor announced that Professor Ayodele’s appointment as Vice-Chancellor will take effect from August 20, 2024.
He will succeed Professor Edward Olanipekun, whose tenure as Vice-Chancellor ends on August 19, 2024.
Professor Joseph Babatola Ayodele was born in Ikere-Ekiti, Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti State on August 13, 1963. He attended Annunciation School, Ikere-Ekiti, from 1974 to 1979, and later proceeded to the Ondo State College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, where he earned his Nigeria Certificate in Education between 1982 and 1985.
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He obtained a First-Class Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree in Economics from Ondo State University (now Ekiti State University), Ado-Ekiti, in 1992. He also earned a Master’s degree in Education Management from the University of Ibadan in 1997, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education Management from the same university in 2000.
Professor Ayodele began his lecturing career as a Graduate Assistant at Ondo State University (now Ekiti State University), Ado-Ekiti, in 1995, and rose through the ranks to become a Professor in 2012.
He has served the University in various capacities, notably as Assistant Director of Affiliate Programmes (2006-2008), Acting Head of the Department of Educational Foundations and Management (2010-2012), Dean of the Faculty of Education (2018-2020), Director of the Directorate of Continuing Education Programmes/Distance Learning (2020-2022), and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) from 2022 to the present.
The statement added, “Governor Oyebanji, who is the Visitor to the University, urges the new Vice-Chancellor to bring his wealth of experience as an academic and seasoned administrator to bear in further repositioning the University as a world-class institution of learning. He wishes him a successful tenure.”
“The Governor also thanks the outgoing EKSU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Edward Olanipekun, for his meritorious service to the University and wishes him success in his future endeavors.”