Gbenro Adesina
Following the Senate’s selection of the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Professor Adebola Ekanola as the Acting Vice Chancellor of the nation’s Premier University, on Monday, November 30, 2020, the Governing Council of the institution has approved his appointment.
According to information gathered, Ekanola’s appointment as Acting VC was approved at a Council meeting presided over this afternoon by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council, Nde Joshua Waklek.
Information revealed that shortly after the election of Ekanola as the Acting VC after polling 275 out of 400 votes, his name was forwarded to the Council for ratification and the Council approved it.
Ekanola will officially resume as Acting VC of the institution on December 1, 2020 for six months.
Ekanola was born on December 2, 1969, to the family of Late Chief Adeyanju and Victoria Ekanola. He had his primary education between 1973 and 1980 at The Polytechnic Primary School, Ibadan, between 1973 and 1980. His secondary education was at the Government College, Ibadan, between 1980 and 1985. He had his A’ Level studies at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, between 1985 and 1987 before proceeding to Obafemi Awolowo University, where he studied Philosophy, between 1987 and 1991 for his first degree. He graduated in the First Class Division.
After his youth service, Ekanola proceeded to the University of Ibadan where he earned the M.A. degree in Philosophy, top of his class, in 1996 and Ph.D degree in Philosophy in January 2003.
Ekanola’s working career began at Obafemi Awolowo University, where he worked briefly as a Graduate Assistant in 1994. He was later appointed as Assistant Lecturer at the University of Ibadan on 29 April, 1997. He was promoted to the grade of Lecturer II in 1999, Lecturer I in 2002, Senior Lecturer in 2005 and Professor in 2010 as a high-flyer.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor held several administrative positions and served on many Committees at the University of Ibadan. These include: Member, Faculty Postgraduate Committee; Member, Board of the Postgraduate School; Member, Board of the Distance Learning Centre; Member of Senate; Member, University Committee on Affiliated Institutions; Acting Head, Department of Philosophy; Dean, Faculty of Arts; Member, Development Committee; Chairman, Executive Sub-Committee, Affiliated Institutions Management Board; Member, Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Supply of Electricity and Water; Member, Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on the Acceptance of National Business Technical Board (NABTEB) Certificate for Admission to University of Ibadan; Chairman, Development Committee’s Ad-hoc Sub-Committee on the Review of Centres Running Degree Programmes; Member, Committee of Provosts, Deans and Directors, University of Ibadan; and Member, Ad-hoc Committee on Professional Ethical and Moral Conduct, University of Ibadan.
Ekanola specialises in the areas of Ethics and Social and Political Philosophy with emphasis on issues relating to peace and social development in Africa, He has over 60 publications, consisting of edited books, chapters in books and journal articles. He has published in highly reputable international journals in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and USA. He has also supervised over a hundred long essays, over 50 M.A. dissertations and five Ph.D theses. He is currently supervising another four Ph.D theses.
He has also engaged in diverse academic activities in the four continents mentioned above. In addition, he has served as a resource person or keynote speaker at several academic workshops and conferences within and outside Nigeria, including programmes and projects sponsored by organisations such as the World Bank, USAID, UNESCO, AHP and ARUA. Also, he has facilitated many international collaborations across all continents on behalf of the University of Ibadan.
Outside the University of Ibadan, Ekanola has served as Visiting Lecturer at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye (2004-2005) and University of Bradford, United Kingdom (2010); and as Visiting Professor at Obafemi Awolowo University (2013-2014) and University of Lagos (2014-2015).Also, he has served as an external examiner and professorial assessor at several universities including University of Lagos, Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti and University of Cape Coast. He has also had the privilege to serve as a member of the National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation team to universities. At present, he is the national coordinator of the Network of Directors of Internationalisation in Nigerian Universities (NODINU).
In addition, Ekanola is the Chief Examiner for Professional Ethics for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He is also a member of several academic associations and professional bodies which include Nigeria Philosophical Association (NPA), Philosophers Association of Nigeria, International Society for African Philosophy and Studies (ISAPS), Africa Network for International Education and Society for Peace Studies and Practice. Prof. Ekanola also served on the editorial board of Philosophia Africana, a journal published at the Department of Philosophy, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
He is happily married to Mrs. Yetunde Aderemi Ekanola and the marriage is blessed with four wonderful children.
