UI gets new vice-chancellor

The Governing Council of the University of Ibadan has appointed Prof. Peter Olamakinde Olapegba as the institution’s 14th Vice-Chancellor following a competitive selection process involving eight candidates.

The appointment was announced on Wednesday by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Adebisi Akande, shortly after the council approved the recommendation of the Joint Council-Senate Selection Board.

Akande said the process of appointing a new Vice-Chancellor commenced in line with the provisions of the University Act ahead of the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent Vice-Chancellor on November 1, 2026.

According to him, advertisements inviting applications for the position were published in April 2026 in three national newspapers, attracting six applications.

He explained that the Governing Council subsequently constituted a Search Team, as required by law, to identify other qualified candidates who might not have applied. The move yielded two additional applications, bringing the total number of candidates to eight.

Akande disclosed that the council interacted with all eight candidates on Tuesday, July 21, during which members independently assessed and scored them using approved guidelines.

He said the exercise produced five candidates who were shortlisted, in order of merit, for the final stage of the selection process.

The Pro-Chancellor added that the council also appointed two of its members to serve on the Selection Board, while the University Senate had earlier elected two of its representatives to participate in the exercise.

He said the Joint Council-Senate Selection Board interviewed the five shortlisted candidates on Wednesday before recommending Olapegba as the best candidate.

Akande described the selection exercise as “thorough, transparent and highly competitive,” noting that the Governing Council unanimously approved the recommendation of the Selection Board.

“It is, therefore, my pleasure to present to you the 14th Vice-Chancellor of this great university, the University of Ibadan, Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba. We wish him success in his tenure,” he said.

Olapegba will succeed the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, whose tenure expires on November 1, 2026.

Olapegba is the current Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) and a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Ibadan.