A former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), University of Ilorin and Professor of Arts Education, Raheem Adebayo Lawal, has been appointed pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the newly-established University of Offa, Kwara State.
The appointment of the foremost academic and administrator was announced by the new University, ROYAL NEWS has gathered.
Prof. Lawal, an award winning scholar of international repute, attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, for his Bachelor’s degree and the premier University of Ibadan for his Master’s and doctorate degrees. He joined the services of the University of Ilorin four decades ago and was elevated to the professorial rank in 1998.
The new Vice-Chancellor has served the University in several capacities and on so many statutory and ad-hoc committees and was also a member of the Senate of the University for more than two decades.
Prof. Lawal, who is also the Chairman of the University of Ilorin Inter-Religious Committee, has also taught many courses and supervised many theses. One of his last major assignments at the University of Ilorin before his new appointment was as Chairman of the Committee that prepared the institution’s well-applauded Fourth Strategic Plan.
In his reaction, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, described the appointment as well-deserved, considering Prof. Lawal’s wealth of experience as an academic and administrator of proven capability.
Prof. Abdulkareem, who spoke through the University’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Kunle Akogun, said that the appointment is “an eminent addition to the glittering record of institutional attainments of the better by far University, which has consistently produced the vice-chancellors of nearly all the sister universities located within and around Kwara State.
The Vice-Chancellor, who is the Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) added that the entire University of Ilorin community appreciated the appointment as it is also regarded as a great opportunity for the highly decorated academic to display his characteritic excellence, polished erudition, affectionate probity and infectious patriotism to his beloved Offa community to the fullest.
