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A former Germany-based Nigerian academic, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja, Nigeria.
The chairman of the university’s governing council, Senator Chris Iheanyichukwu Adighije, made the announcement on Friday in the Kogi State capital city.
Akinwumi, one of Nigeria’s leading historians, was until his appointment Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
Adighije explained that the appointment, which, he said, started in September when the institution declared the position vacant through publication in a national newspaper, was transparent and followed due process.
Senator Adighije noted that the council received 81 applications from various parts of the country, out of which 20 were shortlisted.
The council chairman stated that the selection board, made up of two external members of the Council and two internal members from the Senate of the institution and himself, met on Thursday and conducted interviews for 14 applicants who appeared before the board.
He said at the end of the interviews that lasted a few hours, the selection board came up with three names according to their scores.
“Professor Olayemi Durotimi Akinwumi, who is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University came first, Professor Akintayo Emmanuel Temitope from Ekiti State came second, while Professor Krekere Tawari Fufeye from Bayelsa came third.
“The Council met this morning (Friday) to deliberate on the names and approved the appointment of Professor Olayemi Durotimi Akinwumi as the third Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja to take over from Professor Angela Miri whose tenure has elapsed,” Senator Adighije said.
He described the process of selection as a seamless one and thanked the members of the council for their patience and perseverance which led to the peaceful conduct of the appointment process of the new vice-chancellor.
Professor Akinwumi will take over from the current Vice-Chancellor, Professor Angela Freeman Miri, whose 5-year tenure will end successfully in February, 2021.
Born on 20 January 1964, Professor Akinwumi is a Distinguished Professor of History and a Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria and its immediate past president.
Professor Akinwumi began his academic career at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, and rose to become a senior Lecturer in 1996. He was at the Institut fur Ethnologie, Freie Universität, Berlin, from 1999 to 2004 from where he joined the services of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, where he rose through to the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
He is a recipient of many international and national academic awards. Among these are the Prof Ali Mazrui Academic Awards for Academic Excellence in Kenya, the Stellenbosch Institute of Advanced Study Award (South Africa), the prestigious German Alexander von Humboldt Award, the Nord-Sud-Kooperation Award of the University of Zurich (Switzerland), the Europe Research Award (University College, London), the Institute of Commonwealth Studies Award (University of London), and the German Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD, Award (Germany).
An erudite scholar, Professor Akinwumi is extensively published in many local and international journals. He’s the author of the Colonial Contest of the Nigerian Region: A History of the German Participation and Crises and Conflicts in Nigeria: A Political History Since 1960. Both are published by the LIT Verlag in Germany. He has attended conferences in over 30 countries in the world.
Kola Tella
