Photo: Professor Ogunwole, FUOYE VC
By Mandy Park
The Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Ekiti State, Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, has said that the institution prioritises innovation and character building.
Professor Ogunwole made the statement during a meeting he recently had with members of the Committee on Library and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
According to a report authored by Otitoju Femi and published on the institution’s website, the FUOYE helmsman charged the Library and ICT Committee members to carry out their task with full dedication and seriousness, describing their roles as pivotal to the university’s advancement.
The report indicated that the erudite professor of soil science and astute administrator stressed that realization of the institution’s guiding principles of innovation and character depend mainly on the extent of dedication shown by the staff to their work.
He was quoted in the said report as saying that “FUOYE is about innovation and character. But how can these ideals be fully entrenched if we do not carry our work as a responsibility? When we do so, we set the pace and direction for the institution.”
Professor Ogunwole further emphasised the significance of collaboration while maintaining that the university library cannot function in isolation.
His words: “How can the library function effectively without synergy with ICT, innovation, and communication units?
“The library system we currently operate is largely conservative. Can we truly meet global standards without embracing modernisation and automation?”
He, according to the report, noted that “the evolving academic environment demands a more dynamic, technology-driven library system, adding that the committee was constituted to explore ways of integrating these critical units for improved service delivery.”
Revealing his plans to make the FUOYE’s library more accessible via digital platforms, the VC asked: “How do we ensure that students and staff can access library resources anytime and from anywhere? Is it not time to rethink our strategies, review existing policies, and align with global best practices?”
Stating that performance metrics would be introduced across core units, including the library and ICT, the FUOYE VC said: “What should define our output as a university if not measurable performance? The performance metrics we are introducing will reflect directly in appraisal instruments such as the Annual Performance Evaluation (APPA).”
Professor Ogunwole, a one-time VC of Bowen University and ex-FUOYE DVC (Strategic Partnerships, Research, Innovation & Linkages, SPRIL) assumed office on February 11, 2026 as the fifth substantive VC of FUOYE, one of the fastest-growing university in Nigeria and the fourth most preferred by admission seekers in the country.
He is seen to have hit the ground running, making serious moves to ensure the sustainability of the university’s exponential growth and take the 15-year-old Ivory Tower to the next level.
