By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

The Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University, AATU, Ilorin, Kwara State, has appointed a 47-year-old Professor of Computer Engineering, Olayemi Mikail Olaniyi, as its first substantive Vice-Chancellor.

The appointment, which marks a major step in the development of the relatively young institution, was approved by the university’s Board of Trustees and ratified at its third meeting held on September 4, 2026.

Olaniyi assumed office the same day, according to a statement issued by the university’s Registrar, Emmanuel Dada Obafemi.

With about two decades of academic and administrative experience, the new Vice-Chancellor is expected to deploy his expertise in computer security, intelligent and embedded systems, applied medical informatics and open distance learning to the development of the institution.

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, described the appointment as a carefully considered decision, expressing confidence that Olaniyi would bring his academic and administrative experience to bear on the day-to-day management of the university.

Na’Allah said the new Vice-Chancellor would work closely with the university’s governing council to strengthen institutional efficiency and drive its development.

Born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Olaniyi began his academic journey with a National Diploma in Computer Technology from the Federal Polytechnic, Offa.

He subsequently obtained a Bachelor of Technology and a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering, with specialisation in Computer Security, from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho.

He also holds a Distinction-level M.Sc. in Electronic and Computer Engineering from Lagos State University.

Olaniyi began his academic career at Bells University of Technology, Ota, before rising through the ranks and attaining the rank of Professor of Computer Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, in 2021.

His administrative experience spans several key positions, including Deputy Dean, School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, FUT Minna; Head, Department of Computer Engineering, FUT Minna; and Dean, Faculty of Computing, National Open University of Nigeria, a position he held until his latest appointment.

The new AATU Vice-Chancellor also brings a substantial research portfolio to the office.

He has authored more than 195 academic publications and attracted research grants exceeding N350 million, while belonging to several professional organisations, including the Nigerian Computer Society, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).

His appointment comes at a formative stage in the life of AATU, a private not-for-profit university licensed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in April 2025.

The institution commenced its NUC-approved degree programmes in September 2025 at its campus in Oke-Ogba, Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State.

The university is expected to leverage the new Vice-Chancellor’s academic, research and administrative experience as it builds its institutional structures and expands its academic programmes.