Kwara private varsity appoints first substantive VC

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Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University, Kwara State, has appointed Professor Olayemi Olaniyi as its first substantive Vice-Chancellor.

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The appointment was approved by the university’s Board of Trustees and ratified at its third meeting held on September 4, 2026.

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In a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Monday and signed by the university’s Registrar, Emmanuel Obafemi, the institution said, “The Board of Trustees of Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University (AATU), has approved the appointment of Professor Olayemi Mikail Olaniyi as the University’s first substantive Vice-Chancellor.

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The statement read, “The appointment was ratified at the Board’s third meeting held on 4 September 2026 and took effect from the same date.

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“The Pro-Chancellor/Council Chairman, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, described the decision as well considered, noting that Professor Olaniyi is expected to bring his administrative and academic experience to bear on the day-to-day running of the University, working closely with the Council on institutional efficiency and development.”

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Olaniyi, 47, was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, and is a Professor of Computer Engineering with two decades of academic experience in computer security, intelligent and embedded systems, applied medical informatics and open distance learning.

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The statement added, “He holds a National Diploma in Computer Technology from the Federal Polytechnic, Offa; a Bachelor of Technology and a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering (Computer Security) from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho; and an M.Sc. in Electronic and Computer Engineering, obtained with Distinction, from Lagos State University.”

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It said Olaniyi “rose through the academic ranks at Bells University of Technology, Ota, before becoming Professor of Computer Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, in 2021.”

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“He has held several administrative positions, including Deputy Dean, School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, FUT Minna; Head, Department of Computer Engineering, FUT Minna; and, until his appointment, Dean, Faculty of Computing, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN),” the statement said.

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The university added, “The new Vice-Chancellor has over 195 academic publications, has attracted research grants exceeding N350 million, and holds membership of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Computer Society, IEEE, ACM, and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), where he is a Registered Computer Engineer.”

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The appointment comes after the National Universities Commission approved 15 additional programmes for AATU for the 2026/2027 academic session.

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The approved programmes include Law, Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science, Chemistry, Medical Physics, Public Health, Political Science, Public Administration, Artificial Intelligence, Community Health, Intelligence and Security Studies, Microbiology and Mass Communication.

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AATU was licensed by the NUC in April 2025, with its approved degree programmes commencing in September 2025 at its campus in Oke-Ogba, Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State.

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The statement said Olaniyi “is married with children.”

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