Stakeholders have expressed resolve to work together and leverage their respective expertise to advance the development of the the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.
The resolution was made at a four-day OAU Council-Management retreat held from May 28 to May 31, 2025, in Ede, Osun State.
The retreat provided an opportunity for the stakeholders to reassess and strategise on the challenges and opportunities facing the 63-year-old university, said a statement signed by the Global Publicity Secretary of the Great Ife Alumni Association, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.
Tagged ‘Towards A Better Working Relationship Between Council and Management’, the retreat featured former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, as the keynote speaker.
Prominent attendees included Pro-Chancellor of the OAU, Professor Siyan Oyeweso; the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Simeon Adebayo Bamire; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. O.M.A. Daramola; and newly elected President of the Great Ife Alumni Association, Mr Leye Bunmi Falode.
Other university principal officers present were Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor M. Olubola Babalola; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation, and Development), Professor Akanni Akinyemi; as well as the Registrar, Librarian and Bursar.
Members of all registered unions, including Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) and the Students Union Government, were also in attendance.
In his goodwill message, the new President of the Great Ife Alumni Association, Falode, unveiled the association’s 14-point agenda, which prioritises the university’s needs, emphasising that Federal Government allocations alone cannot sustain the institution.
He stressed the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders in a peaceful and cooperative environment to achieve the alumni’s goals for the university.
Falode, sworn in as Global President on May 24, urged all stakeholders to work harmoniously with the university’s management and council to establish OAU as a true centre of academic excellence.