UI appoints Peter Olapegba as vice-chancellor
The governing council of the University of Ibadan (UI) has appointed Peter Olapegba, a professor of psychology, as the 14th vice-chancellor of the institution.
A statement on Wednesday by Adebisi Akande, pro-chancellor of the university and chairman of the governing council, said Olapegba’s appointment follows the council’s approval of the recommendation of the joint council-senate selection board.
Akande said eight candidates were considered for the position after a multi-stage selection process that culminated in interviews conducted by the joint council-senate selection board.
He said the process to appoint a new vice-chancellor began in April when advertisements calling for applications were placed in three national newspapers.
According to him, six people applied while two other applicants emerged through a search team constituted by the governing council as required by law, to identify other qualified persons who had not submitted applications.
He said members of the governing council met with all eight candidates on Tuesday, July 21, and independently evaluated and scored them using approved guidelines.
The exercise, he added, produced five candidates who advanced to the final stage of the selection process based on merit.
Akande said the governing council nominated two of its members to service on the selection board, while the university senate had earlier elected two representatives to join the panel.
He said the joint council-senate selection board interviewed the five shortlisted candidates on Wednesday before recommending Olapegba for appointment as the best candidate.
The pro-chancellor described the exercise as “thorough, transparent and highly competitive”, adding that the governing council unanimously approved the recommendation of the selection board.
“It is, therefore, my pleasure to present to you the 14th Vice-Chancellor of this great university, the University of Ibadan, Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba. We wish him success in his tenure,” he said.
Olapegba, the current deputy vice-chancellor (administration) of the university, will succeed the incumbent vice-chancellor, whose tenure expires on November 1, 2026.
Olapegba, an indigene of Igbole quarters in Igboora, was born on January 26, 1970, in Ibadan, Oyo state.
He began his primary education at Anglican Church Primary School, Ilutitun, Ondo state, before moving to Lanlate, where he obtained his Primary School Leaving Certificate from St. Paul’s African Primary School in 1981.
He attended Lanlate High School between 1981 and 1986. After completing his secondary education, he worked as a sales clerk in Lagos for some years before gaining admission to the University of Ibadan (UI) to study psychology.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1997, a master of science in social/personality psychology in 1999, and a PhD in applied social psychology from UI in 2008.
He also holds an academic diploma in international boundary and borderland studies from the African Regional Institute, Imeko, Ogun state, as well as a certificate of completion in professional training from the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators.
Olapegba briefly worked as a research officer with the National Examinations Council (NECO) before joining the University of Ibadan as an assistant lecturer in June 2000. He rose through the ranks and was promoted to professor in October 2014.
