LAGOS, Nigeria – Lagos State University has marked an institutional milestone following the formal handing-over ceremony transferring executive leadership from the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Distinguished Professor Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello, mni, NPOM, to the incoming Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ayodeji Olawunmi Badejo, FCASSON, FAPROCON, MNAE, education correspondents confirmed at the university’s main campus in Ojo on Sunday, September 20, 2026.
The transition ceremony, convened inside the University Senate Chamber on Friday, September 18, 2026, brought together members of the university governing council, the senate, principal officers, provosts, deans, directors, and representatives of academic and non-teaching unions to witness the formal change of leadership.
Okay News reports that the event establishes a precedent in tertiary governance, marking the first time in the 43-year history of Lagos State University that an outgoing female substantive Vice-Chancellor has handed over executive authority to an incoming female substantive Vice-Chancellor.
The occasion also represents one of the most harmonious and orderly transitions of administrative power recorded across Nigerian state-owned tertiary institutions, cementing the university’s reputation for uninterrupted academic calendars and industrial peace.
Reflecting on her five-year tenure, the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Distinguished Professor Olatunji-Bello, expressed deep appreciation to the university community and the Lagos State Government for their steadfast cooperation, noting that the institutional milestones achieved across national and global university rankings were the product of collective dedication.
She emphasized that sustained progress within higher education requires institutional continuity, structural stability, and an unwavering commitment to the foundational ideals of scholarship, character, and service.
Following the formal transfer of executive documents and symbols of office, the 10th Substantive Vice-Chancellor, Professor Badejo, delivered her acceptance address, expressing profound gratitude for the confidence reposed in her by the visitor to the university, the governing council, and the senate.
Paying tribute to the foundation laid by the outgoing administration, Professor Badejo pledged to consolidate past achievements while rolling out progressive policy initiatives engineered to expand frontiers in teaching, multidisciplinary research, technological innovation, academic entrepreneurship, and staff capacity development.
The incoming vice-chancellor appealed for the continued support and solidarity of all internal and external stakeholders, underscoring that elevating Lagos State University into a pre-eminent research-intensive global hub remains a shared institutional responsibility.
The completion of the handing-over protocols formally initiates the five-year single tenure of Professor Badejo at the helm of the university, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to academic excellence and sustainable development.
