VC Mobilises Staff to Escort Faculty of Agriculture to New Site
It was a busy and fulfilling day for the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. (Mrs) Ebunoluwa Olufemi Oduwole, FNAL, on Monday, November 4, 2025, as she, alongside principal officers, Deans, Departmental and Unit heads, fulfilled her promise to relocate the Faculty of Agriculture from Ofa Meta to the Kieseni Campus in Aawe.
The relocation followed up on the Vice-Chancellor’s earlier commitment during her visit to the Alawe-in-Council, where the traditional leaders requested the establishment of the Faculty of Agriculture at Kieseni, in line with the community’s expectations when the vast land was donated to Ajayi Crowther University during the tenure of Prof. Dapo Asaju, be revisited.
The day began early as the Vice-Chancellor mobilised about 100 staff members to join her entourage, ensuring a smooth and memorable relocation exercise.
Before departure, the VC led a praise and worship session in front of the Senate Building, followed by prayers led by Dr. Aderogbin, after which the convoy, comprising university buses and private vehicles, departed for Kieseni.
At the site, men and women of God offered prayers for the successful repossession and development of the land. The VC then led the team to inspect existing facilities and assess immediate needs for effective takeoff.
She announced the formation of two committees: one for mapping and development planning of the land, to be chaired by the Dean, Prof. Moses Adebayo, and another prayer team, to be led by Prof. Akanbi.
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The Vice-Chancellor directed that all farm sections at OfFa Meta, except Fisheries section, should move to the new site. She instructed the Dean, Prof Adebayo, to submit requests for infrastructural development to her office, employ at least 10 labourers for grass cutting and other jobs that require their services, and urged the Baale of Kieseni, Chief Sunday Abegunrin, representing the Alawe of Awe, to ensure adequate security of the university’s property.
Prof. Oduwole also directed the Director of Works, Engr. Ade Olaniyi, to temporarily relocate his team to Kieseni to complete or rehabilitate essential infrastructure. She further instructed that the area around the Police Station Building, constructed under Prof. Asaju, be cleared in readiness for being put into use by the Nigeria Police Force.
VC Visits Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences
After successfully settling the Faculty of Agriculture at its permanent site, the Vice-Chancellor proceeded to Offa Meta for a tour of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, where she was warmly received by staff and students led by the Dean, Prof. Olusoga Ogbolu.
During an interactive session in the Faculty Boardroom, the Dean gave a brief history of the faculty. The VC urged management to assign students to duties on campus related to their disciplines, citing, for instance, that students studying Environmental Health should participate in campus sanitation monitoring activities to gain practical exposure.
She also advised that during their three-week internship, students should spend two weeks on campus and one week externally.
Heads of Departments, Prof. S.O. Adewoye (Environmental Health Sciences), Mrs. E.O. Balogun (Radiography and Radiation Science), and Prof. Akiibinu (Medical Laboratory Science), presented their departmental needs. The VC requested formal proposals for improving student enrolment and advised prudence in requests, recommending the hiring of modest clerks instead of high end secretaries.
When Prof. Akiibinu said normally, his department should be a faculty, but the VC encouraged steady growth, explaining that such an upgrade requires adequate infrastructure and facilities.
Prof. Oduwole reiterated her commitment to introducing new programmes such as Medicine, Pharmacy, and Physiotherapy, noting that the existing departments under Basic Medical sciences are important to the aspiration and that preparations for accreditation would commence by January 2026.
On the issue of staff welfare, she stated that any salary review would be implemented comprehensively to benefit all staff.
During the visit, a member of the Governing Council, Dr. Olusola Afolabi, and his wife, also met the VC to congratulate her on her appointment as the first female Vice-Chancellor and the fifth substantive VC of Ajayi Crowther University.
VC Directs Law Faculty to be Fully Lit
Continuing her faculty tours, the VC visited the Faculty of Law same day, where she received warm and pleasant welcome from staff and students. The students presented her with a gift in appreciation of her exemplary leadership since assuming office.
The Dean, Prof. Olanrewaju Onadeko, reported that the faculty currently has 258 students with a 13:1 student-to-staff ratio, stating compliance with national accreditation requirements. He, however, noted the need for an increase in the faculty’s admission quota.
In response, the VC directed the Dean and the two Heads of Department in the faculty to meet her for discussions on expansion. She also instructed the faculty to compile an alumni database within one week and ensure all academic staff create professional profiles on Google Scholar and similar academic search online engines.
She assigned Mrs. Jolayemi to oversee alumni data collation and Dr. Ayinde to handle online visibility.
Highlighting safety concerns, Prof. Oduwole ordered that the entire faculty building be properly illuminated at night, referencing an unfortunate past incident that occurred in darkness. The Works Department was directed to implement the order immediately.
VC PLANS CBT Centre establishment
The Vice-Chancellor’s next stop was the ICT Department, where the Acting Director, Dr. Mayowa, and a JAMB representative received her. The VC announced that the university’s Computer Laboratory would now serve as a Computer-Based Test (CBT) Centre for JAMB examinations and other digital examinations, subject to JAMB’s approval.
VC Prays for Professorial Building Occupants
The day concluded with a visit to the Professorial Building, where Prof. Joel Ayodabo, Prof. Amalu, and other senior academics present received the Vice-Chancellor.
In her remarks, Prof. Oduwole reflected on the dedication required to attain the rank of Professor and commended the Professors for their invaluable contributions to the university’s growth. She offered prayers for continued strength and greater achievements in their academic careers.
