By Emmanuel Babafemi
July 23, 2026
For months, the race to produce the next Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan unfolded quietly behind the walls of Nigeria’s oldest university.
There were no campaign posters, public debates or election rallies.
Instead, the contest was decided through statutory procedures, rigorous assessments and interviews that gradually narrowed the field until only one name remained.
On Wednesday, the Governing Council of the University of Ibadan announced Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba as the institution’s 14th substantive Vice Chancellor, bringing to an end a carefully managed succession process that had begun months earlier.
Olapegba, a Professor of Psychology and the university’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, will take over from Professor Kayode Oyebode Adebowale, whose single five year tenure expires on November 1, 2026.
He is expected to formally assume office on November 2, 2026, ushering in a new leadership era for Nigeria’s premier university.
How the race began
The succession process did not begin with Wednesday’s announcement.
It started months earlier when the Governing Council, chaired by former Osun State Governor, Chief Adebisi Akande, declared the Vice Chancellor’s office vacant ahead of the expiration of Adebowale’s tenure, in line with the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act.
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In April 2026, the Council placed advertisements in national newspapers, inviting suitably qualified professors to apply for what is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious leadership positions in Nigeria’s higher education system.
The response was significant, though not overwhelming.
Six professors submitted applications before the deadline.
Believing more qualified candidates should be in the race, the Governing Council activated another provision of the law by constituting a Search Team.
The team identified two additional professors considered suitable for the office and encouraged them to apply.
That intervention increased the number of contestants from six to eight.
The identities of the eight candidates have not been officially disclosed by the university.
From eight to five
The competition intensified on July 21 when all eight candidates appeared before the Governing Council.
Each candidate was independently assessed and scored on academic accomplishments, administrative experience, leadership capacity, vision for the university and other statutory criteria.
At the end of the exercise, the field was reduced from eight to five.
Those five candidates progressed to the decisive stage before the Joint Council, Senate Selection Board, the statutory body responsible for interviewing and recommending a candidate for appointment.
Following another round of rigorous interviews and assessments, the Board settled on Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba as its preferred candidate.
The recommendation was forwarded to the Governing Council, which unanimously approved his appointment as the university’s 14th substantive Vice Chancellor.
Why Olapegba emerged
Although the university has not released the interview scores or reasons for selecting Olapegba over the other finalists, his academic and administrative profile provides insight into his emergence.
A distinguished Professor of Social and Health Psychology, Olapegba has spent virtually his entire academic career at the University of Ibadan.
He joined the institution as an Assistant Lecturer in 2000, rose through the academic ranks and became a Professor in 2014.
Beyond teaching and research, he has held several strategic leadership positions within the university, serving as Head of Department, Dean, Director, member of numerous statutory committees and, most recently, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration.
That role placed him at the centre of the university’s day to day administration, working closely with the outgoing Vice Chancellor on policy implementation, governance, institutional planning and strategic management.
His emergence therefore represents both continuity and renewal.
The university he inherits
Olapegba assumes office at a defining moment in the history of the University of Ibadan.
Founded in 1948 as the University College, Ibadan, before becoming an independent university in 1962, UI has built a reputation as Nigeria’s foremost institution of higher learning and one of Africa’s leading research universities.
Its alumni include presidents, governors, ministers, jurists, diplomats, captains of industry, renowned academics and literary giants.
However, like many public universities, UI continues to grapple with challenges including funding constraints, ageing infrastructure, research financing, digital transformation, international competitiveness and the growing demand for innovation driven education.
The task before the incoming Vice Chancellor will therefore extend beyond preserving the university’s legacy to positioning it for the future.
The legacy of Adebowale
Olapegba succeeds Professor Kayode Oyebode Adebowale, who assumed office on December 1, 2021.
During his tenure, Adebowale pursued initiatives aimed at strengthening research, expanding international collaborations, improving digital administration, enhancing the university’s global visibility and sustaining industrial harmony within the institution.
His administration also supervised several infrastructure projects and continued efforts to improve the university’s academic reputation on the global stage.
With Adebowale’s tenure ending on November 1, 2026, the Governing Council opted for an early succession process to ensure a seamless transition and avoid any leadership vacuum.
A new chapter begins
For the University of Ibadan, Wednesday’s announcement was more than the appointment of another Vice Chancellor.
It marked the conclusion of a competitive selection process that began with six applicants, expanded to eight candidates through a statutory search exercise, narrowed to five finalists and ultimately produced one winner.
While the university has kept the identities of the other contestants confidential, the process underscored the structured approach adopted in choosing the individual who will lead Nigeria’s premier university for the next five years.
When Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba walks into the Vice Chancellor’s office on November 2, 2026, he will not only become the 14th substantive Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, he will also inherit the responsibility of steering one of Africa’s most respected universities through an era of rising expectations, rapid technological change and increasing global competition.
