Prof. Olugbenga Ige, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), has declared that he is leaving the institution in a far better state than he met it, bringing the curtain down on a weeklong valedictory celebration that ran from Monday, June 29 to Monday, July 6, 2026.
The former chief executive, who served as the university’s sixth substantive Vice Chancellor, spoke at a programme themed “Celebrating a Legacy of Purposeful Leadership and Lasting Impact,” held on the university campus on Monday, July 6, 2026, to mark the end of his tenure.
The week long activities included lectures, a friendly football match, a colloquium, mosque and church services, gift giving, and sessions of thanksgiving and goodwill messages, drawing participation from principal officers, academic and non teaching staff, students, unions, and alumni.
Prof. Ige cited significant gains in academic accreditation, faculty expansion, staff welfare, and infrastructural development as hallmarks of his tenure, while attributing his achievements to the cooperation and support of the university community.
On academic integrity, he disclosed that all programmes had secured 100 per cent accreditation from the National Universities Commission, while professional courses in Law, Architecture, Finance, and Geology passed all requisite external accreditations.
“Our graduates, like Ojuko Temitayo Victoria, Eniola Aladeloba, and Akinola Tinuoluwa, have made First Class at the Nigerian Law School,” he said. “They are proof that AAUA produces excellence.”
The outgoing Vice Chancellor also reported that the university had expanded from seven to ten faculties, with the addition of Administration and Management Sciences, Allied Health Sciences, and Computing, alongside new departments including French, Food Science and Technology, and Library and Information Science.
On staff welfare, he announced that 253 academic staff were promoted to Professors and Readers during his tenure, comprising 110 Professors and 143 Readers, with the highest number of promotions recorded in the 2025/2026 session. 13 non academic staff rose to Deputy Registrar and five to Deputy Bursar.
Prof. Ige further highlighted a marked improvement in academic culture, noting that inaugural lectures had risen from a dismal fifteen to sixty seven during his time in office. “Each lecture has been a gift to the university and to the wider community,” he remarked.
Despite severe financial constraints, he said several structures were built, reconstructed or renovated, including the Faculty of Science building, the new Faculty of Social Sciences building, and the 30 classroom Quadrangle.
In what he described as a crowning achievement, the former Vice Chancellor commissioned an 80 capacity Legacy Hall of Residence, the first new hall built through staff, student, alumni and stakeholder donations since the university was established. The commissioning also took place on Monday, July 6, 2026. “It stands on a foundation of goodwill, not just concrete,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the University Governing Council, Dr Tunji Abayomi, praised the outgoing Vice Chancellor for sustaining the institution’s ratings and visibility despite financial constraints, and for maintaining industrial harmony throughout his tenure.
A book of essays titled “Transformative Leadership in Higher Education, Festschrift in Honour of Prof. Olugbenga Ige” was launched at the event, which was attended by political and religious leaders, traditional rulers, academics, and family members.
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