The Governing Council has approved the appointment of Prof. Ayodeji Oludare Omole as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the University of Ibadan. His two-year tenure began on 10 November 2026, and he has since assumed duty. The announcement was made by the university’s Registrar, G. O. Saliu.
Prof. Ayodeji Oludare Omole: Early Life and Education
Prof. Ayodeji Oludare Omole was born on 6 March 1970 in Ogbagi Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria. He is from the Dagunmodo Ruling House and the family of Prof. M. A. Lanre Omole. He attended primary and secondary schools in Ogbagi (Akoko North West) and Ikare (Akoko North East).
He graduated with an Honours degree in Forestry and Wood Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, in 1994. He served his National Youth Service Corps year in Abuja in 1995 as Project Manager at the National Arboretum. He then earned his M.Sc. (1997) and PhD (2000) in Wood Products Engineering at the Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Ibadan.
Academic Career and Research
Prof. Omole joined the University of Ibadan in 1997 as Assistant Lecturer in the defunct Department of Forest Resources Management. His promotions were:
- Lecturer II, 2000
- Lecturer I, 2004
- Senior Lecturer, 2009
- Reader, 2012
- Professor of Forest/Timber Engineering, 1 October 2015
He was the first in Nigeria to be promoted to professor in that area of specialisation.
He pioneered research in veneer lamination of wood cement board and in the use of used engine oil as a wood preservative. A dedicated researcher who is also active in community service, he has collaborated with other scholars to publish over 100 articles in reputable peer-reviewed journals. He has taught as an adjunct or visiting scholar in several Nigerian universities and in Sierra Leone, and has served as external examiner to many universities within and outside Nigeria.
He belongs to several professional bodies, including the Council on Forest Engineering (COFE, U.S.A.), Commonwealth Forestry Association (CFA, U.K.), Society for Wood Science and Technology (SWST, U.S.A.), Forest Products Society (FPS, U.S.A.) and Forest and Forest Products Society (FFPS, Nigeria).
Prof. Ayodeji Oludare Omole: Service to the University, Nation and Humanity
Prof. Omole has served the university, the nation and humanity in many capacities, including:
- Congregation representative in Senate (1999–2005; 2007–2011; 2013–2015) and full member of Senate (2015 to date)
- Head, Department of Forest Production and Products (2021–2025)
- Chairman, Senior Staff Housing Committee (2020 to date)
- Project Coordinator, Awba Dam Rehabilitation and Restoration Project (2021 to date)
- Departmental Coordinator (2012–2020) and Faculty Chairman (2019 to date), Practical Year Training Programme (PYTP)
- Operations Manager, Campus Tree Management Committee, now the Biodiversity Management Committee (2002 to date)
Prof. Ayodeji Oludare Omole: The ASUU Years
Prof. Omole is widely described as a revolutionist, always fighting for the emancipation of the masses. He has served the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) since 1998 and was Chairman of the University of Ibadan branch from 2016 to 2020. In that role he was reputed for his courage and fearless criticism of bad governance, maladministration, waste and corruption.
Building on the Union’s existing structure, his administration introduced innovations at both branch and national levels. These include an ultra-modern secretariat for the UI branch and ‘End-Well’, a special welfare scheme serving as a retirement plan for members.
Prof. Ayodeji Oludare Omole: LAUTECH Pro-Chancellor and National Assignments
In November 2019, Oyo State Governor, Engr. Oluseyi Makinde, FNSE, appointed Prof. Omole Chairman of the state’s Negotiation Committee on the sole ownership of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho. He carried out the task with distinction, and the outcome was widely celebrated as the best thing to happen to LAUTECH since its establishment.
In 2022, he was appointed Chairman of the Planning and Implementation Committee charged with upgrading Emmanuel Alayande College of Education to a full-fledged University of Education. He is currently Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, LAUTECH (2021 to date), and Chairman, Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Owned Universities (COPSUN) (2025 to date).
Awards and Honours
- Award of Honour and Service, Academic Staff Union of Universities (2018)
- Award of Excellence, LAUTECH Alumni Association Worldwide (2020)
- Award of Honour and Meritorious Service, Oyo State Government (2021)
- Award of Honour and Meritorious Service, University of Ibadan Teachers Cooperative (2018)
- Award of Honour, COPSUN (2022, 2024 and 2026)
- Award of Honour, Tree Club, University of Ibadan (2021)
- Distinguished Alumni Award, FUTA Alumni Association (2023)
- Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Policy Management and Leadership Development (2023)
- Justice of Peace, Oyo State (2022)
- Fellow, Africa Forum, Scotland Centre for Policy Research and Development, Glasgow (2023)
- Fellow, Society for Peace Studies and Practice (2025)
Personal Life
Popularly called “Omo Egiri-Oke” by friends, admirers and well-wishers, Prof. Omole is happily married and blessed with wonderful children.
