Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The Governing Council of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye has approved the appointment of Professor, Agboola Ayodeji Johnson as the 11th Vice-Chancellor of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye.
Prof Agboola, former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) is succeeding his boss, Prof Abdulganiyu Olatunde Olatunji who had been the Vice Chancellor of the university since October 2017.
The appointment of the new Vice Chancellor was said to have been ratified at the university’s 206th (Special) meeting held on Wednesday, 5th October, 2022.
Professor Ayodeji Olayinka Johnson Agboola, a Professor of Cancer Pathology born on 4th July, 1970 is the second alumnus of the university to have ever been appointed the Vice Chancellor.
The 52-year-old Professor of Cancer Pathology was admitted into Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University) Ago-Iwoye, where he obtained his M.B. Ch. B. degree in 2001.
Thereafter, he had his mandatory Housemanship at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu between 2001 and 2002 and got fully registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
He joined the services of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye as Lecturer II, in May 2002. He was at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom where he bagged his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in 2007 and 2012 respectively.
He rose through the ranks and became a Professor of Cancer Pathology in 2016. Apart from teaching various courses in his area of specialization, Prof. Ayodeji Olayinka Johnson Agboola has to his credit over 50 publications in peer-reviewed Journals locally and internationally. He has attended several professional conferences and successfully supervised Ph.D theses in Cancer Pathology.
Apart from being the first to conceptualise racial difference in Breast Cancer Biology in Nigeria compared to British women, Prof. Ayodeji Olayinka Johnson Agboola won the University of Nottingham Developing Solution Award in 2006, and the British Council Linkages Award in 2012 among others, in recognition of his cutting edge researches in his area of specialisation.
His ingenuity also earned him the global recognition of being part of the International Consortium for Advancing Research on Triple Negative Breast Cancer (CART) with the goal of reducing global cancer health disparity.
Prof. Agboola, who is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of the University, has served the institution meritoriously in different capacities. He was the Acting Head, Department of Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology between 2005 and 2006, 2008 and 2009, and 2012-2017; Cognate Representative on the Board of Faculties of Pharmacy and Clinical Sciences (2014-2017), Director of Research, Linkages and Advancements, and Chairman, Research, Linkages and Advancements Committee (2017 – 2018).
He had earlier served as the Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences (BMS) in June, 2018; Member, Editorial Board of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Sciences (2012-2017); Member, Research Committee (2010-2016); Member, Linkages and Advancement Committee (2015-2017) and Convener, University Cancer Research Committee (2012).
Professor Agboola was at a time, the Ogun State Facilitator, National Programme on Immunisation (2005-2006), Member, Visitation Panel, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (2018) and has served as an External Examiner to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and the University of Ibadan for -PhD examinations in 2019 and 2021 respectively. He is currently, Member, OOUTH Management Board.
He also belongs to many Professional Bodies including the Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland (2008 to date), European Pathological Society (2008 to date), Nigerian Medical Association (2001 to date), International Consortium for Advancing Research on Triple Negative Breast Cancer (2016 to date); and International Academy of Pathology, West Africa Chapter (2018 to date).
Agboola is happily married and blessed with children. The appointment takes effect from Thursday, 13th of October, 2022 and it is for a period of five years.