The Governing Council of the University of Ibadan (UI) has approved the appointment of Professor Ayodeji Oludare Omole as the institution’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration).
Omole’s two-year tenure took effect on November 10, 2026.
His appointment was announced in a statement issued by the University’s Registrar, G. O. Saliu.
Born on March 6, 1970, in Ogbagi Akoko, Ondo State, Omole is a Professor of Forest/Timber Engineering in the Department of Forest Resources Management, University of Ibadan.
He obtained his first degree in Forestry and Wood Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in 1994 before proceeding to the University of Ibadan, where he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in Wood Products Engineering in 1997 and 2000, respectively.
He joined the University of Ibadan in 1997 as an Assistant Lecturer and rose through the academic ranks to become a professor on October 1, 2015, becoming the first academic in Nigeria to attain professorial status in that area of specialisation.
A prolific researcher, Omole has published more than 100 scholarly articles in reputable peer-reviewed journals and has taught as an adjunct or visiting scholar at several universities in Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
His research interests include veneer lamination of wood-cement boards and the use of used engine oil as a wood preservative.
Beyond academia, Omole has held several administrative positions at the University of Ibadan, including Head of the Department of Forest Production and Products between 2021 and 2025.
He is also the Chairman of the University’s Senior Staff Housing Committee and Project Coordinator of the Awba Dam Rehabilitation and Restoration Project.
Omole previously served as Chairman of the University of Ibadan branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) between 2016 and 2020, having been actively involved in the union since 1998.
During his tenure, he introduced initiatives aimed at improving members’ welfare, including the establishment of the End-Well retirement scheme and the construction of an ultra-modern secretariat for the university’s ASUU branch.
His public service engagements include chairing the Oyo State Negotiation Committee on the sole ownership of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, in November 2019.
He also chaired the Planning and Implementation Committee responsible for upgrading Emmanuel Alayande College of Education to a full-fledged university in 2022.
Currently, Omole serves as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of LAUTECH, as well as Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities (COPSUN).
He has received several awards in recognition of his contributions to academia, unionism and public service, including the Distinguished Alumni Award of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in 2023 and the Oyo State Government Award of Honour and Meritorious Service in 2021.
Popularly known as “Omo Egiri-Oke,” the professor is married with children.
He has since assumed duty as the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the University of Ibadan.
