I hereby offer my respect and profound appreciation to the Executive Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Engineer Oluseyi Makinde for appointing me as the Pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria. It is a great privilege and honour, to be accorded such confidence and trust by the Visitor to the University.
The foundation is key to the development of any institution. The Visitor is already making sure that our University stands on a solid foundation. As the Vice Chancellor, my agenda will therefore be guided by the vision to ensure that we have a World-Class University of Education that rests on sustainability thinking and
entrepreneurial attitude in the teaching, research, and community services for the production of quality graduates. I intend to work with every stakeholder towards ensuring that the University is guided by the solid foundation of the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, which had been built over the years. The building blocks laid by the great College of Education cannot be waved aside. It is my candid belief that the transition to becoming a University is a step in the right direction and given the efforts of the Transition Committee and the Implementation Committee of the University, the process of leading the university to a great height is already shaped. My objective is therefore to ensure that the high quality and standards of education that our Governor, Engineer Oluseyi Makinde strives to bequest Oyo State, Nigeria and the world in general is achieved.
This being a public institution, I am aware that I must honestly work closely with the government, and government institutions on all matters affecting our University. Given the universal nature of universities, I must also work with other stakeholders including the Private Sector, Development Partners, Civil Societies, Alumni, Parents, Staff, and students. Given the support and intention of our governor, we have started the process of studying and finding ways of harnessing the existing resources to ensure that the University progresses effectively within the next one week. This includes putting all the necessary University processes and actions in motion and ensuring the implementation of all the programmes in the Five Faculties of the University. Thereafter, all the process of remaining regulatory approvals will be obtained from the National University Commission starting from the Resource Cost Verification, which will be done within the next few weeks. We plan to ensure that the first set of students are admitted for the 2023/2024 academic session in all the five Faculties of the University. This is not difficult. It is achievable and it will be done.
We will work assiduously to build a credible university culture of excellence, integrity, and hard work. The competent and effective lecturers and other staff are already on ground. It will be a teamwork involving all relevant stakeholders. The Vice Chancellor’s Office will consequently provide exemplary leadership and operate an all-inclusive governance system in line with university Act, and other extant rules to achieve the aspirations and vision of the founding fathers of the University.
It is my belief that our University will in the next few years become a reference point for quality leadership in undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral graduate production in Education discipline. This is the aspiration that will drive my actions. Together with the support of the Governing Council and other Principal Officers, staff
and students, we will place the University in the global ranking of higher educational institutions in the world within the first five years of its existence. This cannot be done by one person. It is a teamwork, and I will provide efficient and effective team leadership. Everyone is invited and will be involved. We will work together, achieve
together, and obtain together, positive results that will lead our university to greater heights.
Once again, I thank the Visitor to the University, Engr Oluseyi Makinde, for making this possible. I also appreciate the Management, Staff and Students of the defunct Emmanuel Alayande College of Education who form the initial human capital base for this budding citadel of learning.
Thank you.
Professor Olanrewaju Olaniyan
Vice Chancellor, Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, Nigeria.
