By Wale Adeoye
The journey to the upgrade of the status of the defunct Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo received the blessing of the Oyo State Governor, Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde when on 16th December, 2022, the National Universities Commission approved that the hitherto College be named and known as Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo. Fully determined to bring the vision to fruition, the Visitor to the upgraded University quickly set up an Implementation Committee headed by Professor Deji Omole to prepare the ground for the take-off of the University. The icing on the cake was the appointment of a renowned economist and former Chairman of the Governing Council, Oyo State College of Education, Lanlate, Professor Olanrewaju Ademola Olaniyan as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the new University on 9 August, 2023.
Since his assumption of office, the highly revered educationist and technocrat, in line with the University vision statement “To be the best specialized University of Education in Africa with a niche: integration, teaching and learning; advancement knowledge through research and scholarship; leadership in service and development; and in producing teachers and manpower suited to the challenges of the contemporary global knowledge economy”, has pursued with passion and vigour his pencilled down agenda to set a to-be referenced standard for the 127 years teacher training institution. It is needful mentioning, that upon taking over the mantle of leadership, he quickly put up enduring administrative structures targeted at positioning the University among the comity of universities across the globe.
Professor Olanrewaju Olaniyan among other things to ease the task of administering the institution appointed four principal officers in acting capacities as Deputy Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Bursar and the Librarian. In the last 100 days, his administration successfully set up the following Faculties:
(i) Faculty of Arts comprising four departments
(ii) Faculty of Science Education comprising four departments
(iii) Faculty of Social Science Education consisting of four departments
(iv) Faculty of Specialized and Professional Education comprising four departments
(v) Faculty of Vocation, Innovation and Engineering Education with four departments
Under his watch, the University was subjected to resource verification by the NUC between Monday, November 6 and Friday, November 10, 2023, to evaluate the available human and material resources for the University’s 50 prospective programmes. The exercise went well and the University is anticipating a favourable report from the NUC. Prior to this exercise, the University successfully celebrated the first-ever World Teachers’ Day titled “The Teachers We Need for the Education We Want: The Global Imperative to Reverse the Shortage of Teachers”.
Another plus to the administration of this God-sent Eruwa-born administrator is the redesignation and appropriate placement of teaching and non-teaching staff in accordance with the recommendations of the Implementation Committee’s report without any rancor with all staff accepting their new placements without objection. In line with the new status of the institution, the University Administration further considered it important and organized a 2-day capacity building workshop themed “Mind-set Shift from Known to Unknown in the New Era” for both teaching and non-teaching staff to get them acclimatized to the operation of the University.
In this week of his 100 days in office, the congregation of the University chaired by him successfully elected its Council and Senate members peacefully in line with the provisions of the Emmanuel Alayande University of Education Law, 2022.
Summarizing the little successes recorded, the University Chief Executive attributed all to the enabling environment created by the Visitor to the University, His Excellency, Governor Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, FNSE and the support being enjoyed by his Management team and staff of the University. “Unto God alone be all the glory as we have just started”, he submitted.
‘Wale Adeoye, Special Assistant on Media Matters to the Vice Chancellor writes from Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo
