UI Faculty of Veterinary Alumni honours Prof Ola-Davies at valedictory event

The University of Ibadan’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Association has honoured Professor Olufunke Ola-Davies, the outgoing and first female Dean of the Faculty, for her trailblazing four-year tenure, which ends July 31, 2025.

At an appreciation get-together held in her honour, the Alumni Association described her leadership as transformative, crediting her with landmark achievements that repositioned the faculty as a model of excellence within Nigeria and across Africa.

Speaking on behalf of alumni worldwide, the association’s president, Dr Ibikunle Faramade, declared: “The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, became a city set on the hill under the leadership of Professor Olufunke Ola-Davies.”

Professor Ola-Davies, the 16th Dean and the first woman to occupy the position in over six decades, was commended for steering the faculty through a period of significant institutional reform, culminating in the full restoration of accreditation by both the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Veterinary Council of Nigeria — a notable upgrade from the partial accreditation status in 2019.

Among her widely celebrated achievements are the creation of the faculty’s Alumni Association, the improved global ranking of the faculty, the consistent academic excellence of students, including recent outstanding scholarship wins, the promotion of 16 academic staff to professorial rank, and the recruitment of 26 new lecturers.

She also oversaw the refurbishment and upgrade of classrooms in pre-clinical, paraclinical, and clinical units, the completion of the previously abandoned virology and parasitology building, and the renovation of key structures such as the Faculty Building (White House) and the Pathology Building. In addition, Professor Ola-Davies facilitated partnerships with farms and institutions to improve students’ practical experience, established the Faculty Lounge and Restaurant, renovated the Bankole Olusiji Oke Board Room, and successfully hosted the 60th Anniversary of Veterinary Education in Ibadan in 2024. She also facilitated the donation of the Dr Suraj Adesina Research and Development Building.

Former deans Professors V. O. Taiwo and M. O. Oyeyemi hailed her tenure as unprecedented, noting that she had outperformed all 15 previous deans of the faculty.

They remarked that her leadership had affirmed the saying: “What a man can do, a woman can do better.”

Dr Gani Adeniran, a renowned veterinarian and former University of Ibadan Governing Council member, praised Ola-Davies for exceeding expectations, describing her as “a relentless goal-getter who refused to be distracted.” He urged the incoming Dean, Professor B. O. Olugasa, to follow her example and focus on substance over sentiment.

In her response, Professor Ola-Davies thanked the alumni for the honour and dedicated her success to divine grace, attributing her strength and wisdom to God. She extended gratitude to faculty members, students, and colleagues for their support throughout her tenure.

She concluded with a message of goodwill to her successor: “I wish the incoming Dean a successful term and pledge my full support to ensure our faculty continues on the path of progress.”

The event drew faculty members, students, alumni, and dignitaries from across the veterinary and academic community, all united in celebrating what many described as a golden era for the University of Ibadan’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

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