Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has approved the appointment of Professor Ayodeji Olawunmi Badejo as the new Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University.
Badejo, a professor of Guidance and Counselling, succeeds Professor Ibijoke Olatunji-Bello, whose five-year tenure is ending with her retirement.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso.
Born on August 4, 1962, Badejo obtained both her Master of Education and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Guidance and Counselling from the University of Lagos.
She is expected to take over the leadership of the university as LASU enters a new phase following the completion of Olatunji-Bello’s tenure.
Badejo takes over from Olatunji-Bello, who became LASU’s first female substantive Vice-Chancellor in 2021.
Olatunji-Bello, a professor of Physiology, was appointed by the university’s Governing Council in September 2021 and formally assumed office as Vice-Chancellor in January 2022, succeeding Professor Lanre Fagbohun.
Her tenure has been marked by efforts to strengthen LASU’s academic standing, infrastructure, research and institutional development.
During her administration, LASU continued to expand its academic programmes and research profile and consolidated its position among Nigeria’s leading public universities.
Olatunji-Bello’s tenure also coincided with significant growth in student enrolment and increased pressure on the university to provide infrastructure and maintain academic standards amid rising demand for university education.
Her departure therefore places Badejo before the task of sustaining the gains recorded under the outgoing administration while addressing the challenges confronting one of Nigeria’s largest state-owned universities.
The new Vice-Chancellor will also be responsible for steering LASU’s academic and administrative affairs, including staff welfare, research, infrastructure development, funding and the university’s relationship with the Lagos State Government and other stakeholders.
The Lagos State Government did not immediately announce the date for Badejo’s assumption of office.
