9621 Agnes Crossing, Lake Suzanneview, New Mexico Island 84604-9295.
The air inside the Senate Chamber of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, was charged with an unusual energy on Monday morning. Journalists, senior academics, and student leaders
The air inside the Senate Chamber of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, was charged with an unusual energy on Monday morning. Journalists, senior academics, and student leaders filled the hall long before the newly appointed Vice Chancellor, Professor Ebunoluwa Olufemi Oduwole, walked in, a sign of the heightened curiosity surrounding her first major engagement with the press since assuming office on October 1st.
And when she finally took the podium, it became immediately clear that ACU is entering a different era.
“This university is moving to a higher level,” she declared, her voice steady but passionate, before diving into what has been an eventful 54 days in office.
What followed was less a ceremonial speech and more a sweeping, confident briefing that offered reporters a window into a university undergoing rapid transformation.
From the outset, Oduwole anchored her leadership on faith, ethics, and discipline, the trio forming the first plank of her 10-point agenda. But instead of speaking in abstractions, she pointed to what journalists had already observed across campus: fuller chaplaincy services, stricter adherence to conduct rules, and a renewed sense of community among students and staff.
She explained that attendance at Sunday services has grown so large that the university is considering hosting two separate worship sessions, a logistical challenge, but one she described as “a blessing and a sign of spiritual revival.”
The compulsory Monday Fellowship for staff and Wednesday Community Service for students have also taken on new life, with participation swelling far beyond what her team initially expected.
Academic expansion dominated a significant portion of the press briefing. The VC revealed that the campus had hosted several NUC accreditation teams in recent weeks, covering seven postgraduate and undergraduate programmes.
“As a university, we must be globally competitive. There is no alternative,” she told reporters.
But the biggest news was the confirmation of new programmes, journalism, broadcasting, information science, and even a degree in Artificial Intelligence, all at various stages of approval.
She added that diploma and certificate courses would soon be rolled out department-wide to attract working professionals and broaden the university’s reach.
The long-awaited College of Health Sciences also received renewed momentum as Oduwole announced that its framework had already been drafted, promising a phased but fast-tracked take-off.
One of the most practical shifts under her watch has been the strategic relocation of faculties across ACU’s four campuses. Oduwole clarified that the move was not arbitrary but aimed at promoting efficiency and giving faculties room for growth.
Under the new arrangement:
Agriculture now operates from the vast Kiyeseni Awe Campus
Engineering has settled into the Offa-Meta Campus
Computing now occupies the former engineering building at St. Andrew’s
The changes have already altered the traffic and learning patterns across the university, an observation many journalists noted during their tour of the campus earlier in the day.
Oduwole also addressed an issue that has long frustrated students and lecturers: internet connectivity. She announced that new telecom infrastructure is being installed to guarantee stronger campus-wide coverage.
In a bid to enhance the university’s academic visibility, she has mandated that lecturers maintain active research profiles on platforms like Google Scholar and ORCID.
A Research Grant Clinic has also been established, a move she said would help staff tap into national and international funding opportunities.
The VC’s remarks on student achievements drew some applause from the hall. She highlighted engineering students who built a solar-powered irrigation system, agriculture students producing healthy crop varieties, and law students who have been dominating moot court competitions.
The launch of Enactus Nigeria on campus reflects her drive to turn students into innovators and problem-solvers.
On discipline, however, her tone tightened.
“We will not tolerate drug abuse in any form,” she warned. “Anyone caught will face serious consequences.”
She revealed ongoing collaborations with NDLEA and other agencies to intensify sensitisation and enforcement.
Journalists who toured the health centre earlier in the day will not be surprised by Oduwole’s announcement that a major overhaul is underway. Plans for a new university hospital are already on paper.
The university bakery and laundry services, she added, are being upgraded with modern equipment to increase productivity and generate more internal revenue.
Oduwole also spoke passionately about the Campus Environmental Management Plan, which aims to tackle waste, improve landscaping, and create eco-friendly spaces across all campuses.
One of the more intriguing revelations was the university’s production of ACU Nano Paint, an in-house project that has now become a commercial product.
The VC described it as part of a broader financial sustainability drive aimed at reducing dependence on external contractors.
Oduwole assured journalists that staff welfare remains a top priority. Promotions, timely salaries, and training programmes are being pursued vigorously. A multi-departmental academic workshop is also scheduled for January 2026.
She noted that the committee system has been overhauled to improve efficiency, with new units focusing on quality assurance, dress code, research ethics, and environmental management.
She also celebrated ACU’s growing alumni profile, specifically referencing 2011 valedictorian Dr. Oluseye Olaseinde-Williams, recently named among the world’s top 2% of influential scientists.
As part of the 17th Convocation Ceremony, the university will showcase innovations from its faculties. The exhibitions will feature agricultural products, engineering innovations, software applications, and entrepreneurial ventures, a first-of-its-kind for the institution.
Rounding off the briefing, Professor Oduwole reiterated her commitment to inclusive leadership and collaborative progress.
“In all we do, we give glory to God,” she said with a smile. “ACU is moving forward, confidently and by divine grace.”
As attendees poured out of the Senate Chamber, the sense was unmistakable: The university is not merely celebrating a convocation, it is unveiling a new chapter.
