Ebenezer Adurokiya, Reporting
The Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), Professor John Owusu Gyapong, has described the tenure of the 13th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, as purposeful and impactful, particularly in global partnerships, innovation, institutional growth and development, digital development and strategic collaborations.
He made this statement while delivering a lecture at a ceremony organised to commemorate the end of Professor Adebowale’s tenure as Vice-Chancellor of the university. The lecture was entitled “Leadership, Legacy and the Future of Research-Intensive Universities in Africa”.
Professor Gyapong noted that Professor Adebowale had demonstrated a commitment to innovation and institutional development during his tenure. He recalled the outgoing VC’s mantra, “Innovate or Stagnate”, and described it as an important reminder that institutions must continuously improve even when they are already performing well.
He commended the VC for his service to the University of Ibadan and the wider African higher education sector, stressing that the occasion should also prompt reflections on the kind of leadership, institutions and universities Africa would require in the coming decades.
The lecturer disclosed that ARUA is a network of research-intensive African universities established to strengthen research capacity and collaboration on the continent, explaining that the University of Ibadan is a founding member of the alliance, which brings together 23 research-intensive universities.
He added that the alliance is focused on such issues as public health, water, energy, non-communicable diseases, artificial intelligence, technology, conflict and urbanisation, explaining that collaborative initiatives such as mobility programmes for early-career researchers, mid-career fellowships and research conferences have helped African institutions to build capacity and share expertise.
Professor Gyapong encouraged universities to participate actively in such networks in order to benefit from shared knowledge, research infrastructure and institutional experience.
He called on African research-intensive universities to move beyond producing academic publications and become institutions that directly address the continent’s developmental challenges, identifying infrastructure deficits, pandemics, food insecurity, conflict, governance challenges and other socio-economic problems as major issues confronting Africa.
He maintained that universities could not remain detached from these challenges because they possess the data, expertise and human resources required to develop solutions.
According to him, Africa’s poor performance in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be a concern to academics and research institutions. He therefore challenged research-intensive universities to provide evidence on the continent’s progress and develop knowledge capable of driving public policies and improving the lives of citizens.
The scholar also noted that although sub-Saharan Africa accounts for about 17.5 per cent of the global population, its contribution to the global research community remains disproportionately small. He urged African universities to invest heavily in human capital, doctoral education, research infrastructure and systems that would support young and emerging scholars.
Professor Gyapong called for greater investment in both basic and developmental research, saying that research outputs should be converted into products, policies, enterprises and community solutions. He stressed the importance of integrating the social sciences into scientific research and also advocated stronger partnerships among universities, governments, industry, foundations and civil society organisations to ensure that research responds to societal needs.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Ibadan, His Excellency, Chief Adebisi Akande, CFR, who spoke through Professor E. B. Alo, a Council Member, described the tenure of Professor Adebowale as a period of significant partnerships, research visibility and institutional growth for the University of Ibadan. He said that the end of tenure ceremony offered an opportunity to reflect on Professor Adebowale’s leadership and assess the impact of his administration on the university.
The convener of the ceremony, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, Professor Simisola O. Akintola, said that the event was an opportunity to take stock of the achievements recorded during the VC’s tenure.
She disclosed that the university entered into about 200 partnerships across 27 countries during the five-year period, which included 108 research collaborations, industry partnerships, student mobility agreements and other strategic collaborations.
She said that the growing international recognition of the university under the leadership of Professor Adebowale was reflected in global rankings and research indices, adding that in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings of 2026, the University of Ibadan was placed in the 801–1000 band globally. According to her, the university had also recorded strong performance in the 2026 edition of the AD Scientific Index, where it was ranked among the top universities globally.
Professor Akintola identified people, infrastructure and trust as the three critical pillars of a research-intensive university, noting that while people and infrastructure could be measured, trust is built gradually and can easily be lost. The DVC explained that the return of visiting scholars, funders, industry partners and other international collaborators to Ibadan demonstrated the confidence they have in the institution and its leadership, stating that trust is an important part of the legacy of the outgoing VC.
She acknowledged the sponsorship of the ceremony by AstriaLearning, through its CEO, Dr Jeff Bordes, and Mr Abiodun Olatunji, SAN, describing the gesture as part of the meaningful institutional partnerships formed by the university.
The outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, mni, FAS, fspsp, in his response, stated that the growth of the University of Ibadan is a product of collective effort, saying that no Vice-Chancellor can single-handedly claim credit for the institutional success.
The Vice-Chancellor recalled joining the University of Ibadan as a student on 15 September 1980, saying that although he knew very little about the institution before then, the university has since become an important part of his life.
He noted that UI was built on a strong foundation of excellence, integrity and service by its pioneer principals and urged stakeholders and members of the university community to see the institution as a collective project and to always work together to advance its continued development.
He commended the organising team of the programme, led by Professor Akintola, and thanked the sponsors for putting together what he described as an unprecedented gathering.
