Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, has broken new ground with the appointment of Professor Ebunoluwa Olufemi Oduwole as its first female Vice-Chancellor in the institution’s history.
The university’s Governing Council confirmed the appointment in a statement on July 8, 2025, announcing that Prof. Oduwole will succeed Professor Timothy Adebayo, whose five-year tenure as Vice-Chancellor is ending.
Prof. Oduwole, a distinguished academic with nearly four decades of teaching and research experience, holds a BA and MA in Philosophy from the University of Ibadan, a Master of Science in Bioethics from a European consortium of universities, and a PhD in Philosophy, also from Ibadan.
Before her appointment at Ajayi Crowther University, she served in senior academic and administrative roles at Olabisi Onabanjo University, where she rose through the ranks to become Head of Department, Dean of Faculty, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
She is widely published in philosophy, ethics, and bioethics, and has supervised numerous postgraduate students.
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At the announcement ceremony, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr. Olutoyin Okeowo, commended the contributions of the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, describing Professor Adebayo’s tenure as transformative.
He called on the university community to extend full support to Prof. Oduwole as she assumes office, stressing that her appointment represents a major step forward for the institution.
The development has been hailed as a milestone for gender representation in higher education leadership in Nigeria.
Prof. Oduwole’s appointment makes her the first woman to lead Ajayi Crowther University since its establishment in 2005, underlining what stakeholders describe as a commitment to inclusivity and academic excellence.