VC Tours Ofa Meta Campus, Endorses IGR-Boosting Initiatives, Promise Structural Reforms
The Vice-Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Prof. (Mrs.) Ebunoluwa Olufemi Oduwole, on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, continued her familiarisation tour of the University’s faculties, units, and facilities with a working visit to the Faculty of Agriculture and the Faculty of Nursing Sciences, both located at the Ofa Meta Campus.
Prof. Oduwole was accompanied by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olumuyiwa Popoola; the Acting Registrar, Ven. Olusegun Ojo; and the University Librarian, Dr. (Mrs.) Bosede Ajiboye.
At the Faculty of Agriculture, where the tour began, she was received by the Dean, Prof. Moses Adebayo, alongside departmental heads, lecturers, and non-teaching staff.
The Vice-Chancellor announced that she had approved funds for the expansion of the faculty’s poultry unit and directed the management to submit proposals for enlarging the piggery and other ventures capable of boosting the University’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
She further instructed that pigs should be slaughtered regularly for sale to the University community, stating the need for transparency and accountability in all faculty business operations.
Prof. Oduwole urged the faculty to explore additional agricultural opportunities such as sack farming for yam, lettuce, pepper, cucumber, and other vegetables, especially in the swampy areas of the campus.
She disclosed plans to partner with organisations like IITA and Animal Care to enhance livestock production and diversify the University’s agricultural ventures.
“We must expand our IGR base,” she said. “Instead of budget proposals, I want visibility studies that show how each project can generate income.”
The Dean, Prof. Adebayo, noted that the faculty currently runs a soybean project in partnership with OYSADA and Fashola Farms.
The Vice-Chancellor also directed that a portion of the campus be developed into an orchard and a cocoa nursery to produce seedlings for sale. She announced plans to showcase the faculty’s agricultural products during the upcoming convocation exhibition.
Expressing concern about the low student–staff ratio, she charged the faculty to intensify efforts to attract more students.
“Let’s add value to our academic and practical activities. We can even organise an agricultural festival, perhaps themed ‘Agropreneurship Day,’” she said, while directing that a three-man committee be constituted to develop the idea.
Prof. Oduwole later inspected the piggery, livestock, and fishery sections to assess their current state and discuss improvement strategies.
AT THE FACULTY OF NURSING SCIENCES
The Vice-Chancellor and her team were warmly received with songs and dancing by the staff and students, led by the Coordinator, Mrs. Adeniran. The lively welcome soon turned into a carnival atmosphere as Prof. Oduwole joined in the dance before proceeding to a meeting with the faculty heads and inspection of facilities.
During the interactive session, the Vice-Chancellor commended the faculty for its impressive enrolment figures but encouraged them to further expand both staff strength and infrastructure.
“Law and Nursing are the University’s cash cows,” she said. “We must continue to strengthen them and leverage opportunities in Open and Distance Learning (ODL), especially for Nursing and allied programmes that are in high demand locally and internationally.”
In response, Mrs. Adeniran proposed introducing new programmes such as Geriatrics, noting the growing relevance of home-care careers among graduates seeking opportunities abroad.
Prof. Oduwole granted some of the faculty’s immediate requests and assured that others would be addressed within the Governing Council’s plan to establish a University hospital. She reaffirmed her commitment to further develop the Ofa Meta Campus through the construction of student hostels and enhanced security infrastructure.
