The Governing Council of the University of Ibadan (UI) has approved the appointment of Professor Ayodeji Oludare Omole as the institution’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration).
Professor Omole, who has assumed duty, will serve a two-year tenure which commenced on November 10, 2026.
A Professor of Forest/Timber Engineering in the Department of Forest Resources Management, Omole brings to the position nearly three decades of academic, administrative, research and leadership experience at the premier university.
Background
Born on March 6, 1970, in Ogbagi Akoko, Ondo State, Professor Omole obtained his first degree in Forestry and Wood Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), in 1994.
Following his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in Abuja, where he served as Project Manager at the National Arboretum in 1995, he proceeded to the University of Ibadan, where he obtained his M.Sc. and PhD degrees in Wood Products Engineering in 1997 and 2000, respectively.
UI Sojourn
He joined the University of Ibadan in 1997 as an Assistant Lecturer in the then Department of Forest Resources Management. Through a steady academic progression, he became Lecturer II in 2000, Lecturer I in 2004, Senior Lecturer in 2009 and Reader in 2012 before attaining professorial status on October 1, 2015.
He was reportedly the first academic in Nigeria to attain professorial rank in his area of specialisation.
An accomplished researcher, Professor Omole pioneered research into veneer lamination of wood-cement boards and the use of used engine oil as a wood preservative. He has collaborated with other scholars to publish more than 100 research articles in reputable peer-reviewed journals.
He has also served as an adjunct or visiting scholar in several Nigerian universities and institutions in Sierra Leone, while acting as an external examiner for universities within and outside Nigeria.
Beyond his academic contributions, Omole has held several strategic administrative positions at the University of Ibadan. These include Head of the Department of Forest Production and Products from 2021 to 2025, Chairman of the Senior Staff Housing Committee from 2020, Project Coordinator of the Awba Dam Rehabilitation and Restoration Project from 2021, and Operations Manager of the university’s Campus Tree Management Committee, now known as the Biodiversity Management Committee.
He has equally served as a Congregation representative in the university’s Senate at different periods between 1999 and 2015 and has been a full member of the Senate since 2015.
Professor Omole is also known for his involvement in university unionism, particularly his longstanding association with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which dates back to 1998. He served as Chairman of the University of Ibadan branch from 2016 to 2020.
During his tenure as ASUU chairman, he was noted for his outspoken criticism of poor governance, maladministration, waste and corruption. His administration also introduced several initiatives, including the construction of an ultra-modern secretariat for the UI branch and the establishment of the ‘End-Well’ welfare scheme to support members‘ retirement plans.
His contributions to higher education administration extend beyond the University of Ibadan. In November 2019, he was appointed by Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, as Chairman of the state’s Negotiation Committee on the sole ownership of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso.
In 2022, he was also appointed Chairman of the Planning and Implementation Committee responsible for upgrading Emmanuel Alayande College of Education into a full-fledged university.
Professor Omole currently serves as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of LAUTECH, a position he has held since 2021. He is also Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities (COPSUN), a position he assumed in 2025.
A member of several professional bodies, his affiliations include the Council on Forest Engineering, United States; Commonwealth Forestry Association, United Kingdom; Society for Wood Science and Technology, United States; Forest Products Society, United States; and Forest and Forest Products Society, Nigeria.
His contributions to academia, public service and institutional development have earned him numerous recognitions, including the Award of Honour and Service from ASUU in 2018; the LAUTECH Alumni Association Worldwide Award of Excellence in 2020; the Oyo State Government Award of Honour and Meritorious Service in 2021; and the Distinguished Alumni Award from FUTA Alumni Association in 2023.
Other recognitions include his conferment as a Justice of the Peace in Oyo State in 2022, Fellowship of the Nigerian Institute of Policy Management and Leadership Development in 2023, Fellowship of the Africa Forum, Scotland Centre for Policy Research and Development, Glasgow, in 2023, and Fellowship of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice in 2025.
Popularly known as ‘Omo Egiri-Oke’ among friends and admirers, Professor Omole is married with children.
His appointment is expected to bring his wealth of experience in academic administration, institutional governance, staff welfare and university development to bear on the administration of the University of Ibadan.
