AAU appoints ex-FUNAAB VC, Oyewole, as new Secretary-General

Former Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Professor Olusola Oyewole, has been appointed as the new Secretary-General for Association of African Universities (AAU).

The appointment, according to the outgone president of the AAU Governing Board, Professor Antonio Orlando Quilambo (Rector of Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique), takes effect from the 1st of October, 2021.

His appointment was announced during the virtual extra-ordinary general conference organised by the association, monitored by the Tribune Online, on Monday 9th of August.

The outgone president expressed concerned about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education in different countries on the continent.

Professor Quilambo said the meeting was to ratify the appointment of Oyewole following a competitive recruitment process.

The new AAU Secretary-General is to replace Professor Etienne Ehouan Ehile, an Ivorian higher education leader, who has led the association for the past nine years.

Oyewole is a Nigerian professor of Food Science and Technology, specifically Food Microbiology and Biotechnology. He is not new to the Association because he has been a staff member of the Association in the past, as well as a Board Member and President of the Association.

The new AAU Secretary-General in his acceptance remarks paid tribute to the out-going Secretary-General Professor Etienne Ehouan Ehile, saying that he was aware that he had “big shoes to fill”.

He recognised Prof Ehile’s sterling work that saw the association increasing its visibility, decentralising its functions through regional offices, diversifying the capacity building initiatives, identifying new partners, nurturing the relationship with the government of Ghana and continuing the advocacy to various stakeholders to support higher education in Africa.

Professor Oyewole thanked the AAU Governing Board for the opportunity given to him to serve the association.

He said, “My vision is to amplify the relevance of the Association of African Universities as the Voice of Higher Education in Africa,” while revealing that during his term of office, his top focus areas will include identifying and implementing strategies for sustaining the association during and post the COVID-19 era and helping African Universities to overcome the challenges of COVID-19.

Professor Oyewole said that he deems the strategic collaborations and dialogues with development partners and other stakeholders as key for the successful future of the association.

“Without strong partnerships and collaborations, the Association would be unable to achieve her grand mission of improving the quality of African Higher Education.

“Through honest, sincere, visionary, committed, transparent and disciplined leadership, I intend to build new strategic partnerships and revive old partnerships for the sustainability of the association,” he added.

The new Governing Board members of AU were Professor Saeed Bakri Osman as President; Professor Mohammed Hussein, Vice President (North Africa); Professor Theresia Nkwo Akenji, Vice President (Central Africa) and Professor Lilian Salami, Vice President (West Africa).

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AAU appoints ex-FUNAAB VC, Oyewole, as new Secretary-General

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