ABU Postgraduate College Gets New Provost

ABU Postgraduate College appoints Prof Oluyinka Okubanjo as Provost, with mandate to drive reforms and global competitiveness

ABU Postgraduate College has appointed Prof. Oluyinka Okubanjo as its new Provost, effective Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

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Okubanjo, a professor of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, takes over from Prof. Muhammad Nasiru Shuaibu, whose tenure recently ended.

His appointment, approved by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Adamu Ahmed, will run for an initial two-year term.

In a statement on Monday, the university’s Public Affairs Directorate described Okubanjo as one of the most experienced academics to lead the Postgraduate College, having previously served as Deputy Dean of the then School of Postgraduate Studies as well as Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

The Vice-Chancellor said the new Provost was selected for his familiarity with ABU’s postgraduate system, his research record, and his reform-driven vision. “We are confident that he will reposition the Postgraduate College for global competitiveness,” Ahmed noted.

ABU is currently implementing the Federal Government’s domestication of the TETFund Academic Staff Training and Development scheme, which designates the university as a national hub for postgraduate mentorship in 14 critical disciplines.

The Vice-Chancellor said this mandate reflects government’s trust in ABU’s institutional strength, while challenging the university to raise its standards.

Prof. Okubanjo is expected to institute reforms that align with global best practices, including the development of international partnerships, dual-degree programmes, joint research supervision, faculty exchanges, and technology-driven models of postgraduate education such as hybrid and online learning.

The ABU Postgraduate College will also focus on expanding access, strengthening industry collaboration, and ensuring that postgraduate research outputs are translated into real policy and practice.

“The College must become more than a certificate-awarding body; it must drive innovation and provide solutions to Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges,” the Vice-Chancellor emphasized.

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As Okubanjo officially assumes duty on Wednesday, attention will be on how quickly he can deliver on expectations to make ABU’s postgraduate programmes more impactful, inclusive, and globally competitive.