Gov.Adeleke appoints BOVAS Founder as UNIOSUN Chancellor

By Ismail Azeez

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has approved the appointment of Mrs. Victoria Adunola Samson, popularly known as Mama BOVAS, as the new Chancellor of Osun State University.

The tenure of the former Chancellor, Apostle Folorunso Alakija, concluded on March 18, 2026. On Friday, May 8, 2026, the Osun State Government paid a courtesy visit to Apostle Alakija to express the university’s gratitude for her decade of service from 2016 to 2026.

The Governor highlighted that her impact remains a living legacy, particularly through the donation of the multi-billion naira Modupe and Folorunso Alakija Medical Research and Training Hospital.

The new Chancellor, Mrs. Victoria Adunola Samson, is the founder of the prominent BOVAS Oil and Gas Company. An indigene of Iree from the Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State, she was born on December 5, 1949. Under her leadership and that of her husband, the company has grown its retail arm from a single station to over 200 stations, employing more than 2,000 Nigerians as of late 2025.

Mrs. Samson previously managed a Texaco Petroleum Franchise and became the first Nigerian to win the competitive Texaco Latin America and West Africa (LAWA) Award for Best Overall Dealer in 1990. During that period, she recorded the highest sales volume in both West Africa and Latin America combined.

In the oil and gas sector, Mrs. Samson has served as the Matron for the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) at the NNPC/PPMC Satellite Depot in Ejigbo and the Apata Depot in Ibadan. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketing Association (DAPPMA).

Her academic credentials include a Professional Diploma in Marketing and a certificate from Harvard University Business School’s Leadership for Family in Business program. She is also a beneficiary of the Chief Executive Program at IESE in Barcelona, Spain.

Governor Adeleke noted that Mrs. Samson manages her business with integrity, accountability, and patriotism.

He stated that the government recognizes her decency in a society where business ethics are often tested.

The Governor celebrated her as a symbol of honesty and humanity, officially congratulating her on becoming the third Chancellor of Osun State University, Osogbo.