Professor Olajire Olaniran started his brilliant teaching career as Lecturer II at the University of Ilorin in January 1978 and was promoted Professor of Geography in October 1990.  Professor Olaniran has published extensively in reputable national and international journals.

Professor Olaniran has held many administrative positions at the tertiary level of education including Head, Department of Geography, University of Ilorin (October 1989 – December 1992) and Provost, St Andrew’s College of Education, Oyo (January 1993 – December 1999).  He was secretary and member of the Implementation committee of the Proposed Ajayi University, Oyo (September 1999 – August 2003), member provisional Governing Council of the proposed Ajayi Crowther University (September 2003 to date) and Chairman, Educational Assistance Programme Committee of Samuel Adegbite Foundation, 2000 to date.

Professor Olajire Olaniran has received many honours, distinctions and special awards.  Among these are the Department of Geography Prize, University of Ibadan (June, 1973), University of Ibadan Postgraduate Bursary Award (1973-1976), Association of Common wealth Universities Academic Staff Fellowship (1987), Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, St. David’s University College, University of Wales, Lampeter, Wales, UK (1987/88), Royal Society Fellowship for Developing countries (1987/88), Deutscher Akademishcher Austauschienst e.v (DAAD) of the Federal Republic of Germany (1987), and he Fellowship of the Royal Meteorological Society  (1983).  Professor Olaniran was granted international membership of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1993 and is listed in ‘Leaders in Nigerian Geography” (2001). On May 10, 2003 he was conferred with the title of ‘Ekerin Balogun Baameto of Ibadan land’ by his Royal Highness, the Olubadan of Ibadanland.