The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) has been designated as the mentoring institution for the newly established Owolabi University, Oke Ila Orangun, Osun State, following the institution’s approval by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The development is expected to support the new university as it prepares to commence academic operations and strengthen its systems in line with regulatory requirements for Nigerian universities.
Owolabi University, established by Bishop Owolabi, received its operating licence from the NUC on July 24, 2026, authorising it to begin academic activities in three faculties: Allied Sciences, Sciences and Computing, and Management Sciences.
The approved academic structure comprises 15 programmes across nine departments, providing the institution with an initial academic foundation covering science, technology and management-related disciplines.
The designation of FUNAAB as the mentoring university means that the new institution will have access to the experience and institutional guidance of an established university as it develops its academic, administrative and quality-assurance systems.
The mentoring arrangement is particularly important for a newly licensed university because establishing an institution goes beyond securing an operating licence. The university must develop functional academic departments, recruit qualified personnel, establish appropriate governance structures, provide adequate infrastructure and laboratories, and demonstrate that its programmes meet the standards required by regulatory authorities.
The relationship between the two institutions became more concrete on August 6, 2026, when a delegation from Owolabi University paid a courtesy visit to FUNAAB.
Receiving the delegation, the Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, Professor Babatunde Kehinde, assured the visitors of the university’s willingness to provide the necessary mentorship and institutional support to facilitate a successful take-off.
Professor Kehinde also advised the Owolabi University team to engage the relevant heads of units within FUNAAB as preparations continue for the institution’s forthcoming NUC Resource Verification exercise.
Resource verification is a significant stage in the establishment and expansion of university programmes, as it enables the regulatory authority to assess whether the institution possesses the academic and physical resources required to deliver the proposed programmes effectively.
For Owolabi University, preparations for the exercise will therefore require attention to areas including academic staffing, curriculum implementation, library resources, laboratories, classrooms, information and communication technology facilities, administrative structures and other resources relevant to its approved programmes.
The mentoring relationship could provide the new university with an opportunity to learn from FUNAAB’s institutional experience in these areas and identify gaps that need to be addressed before full-scale academic operations.
The delegation from Owolabi University was led by its Acting Vice-Chancellor, Dr Samuel Adedotun, and included the Director of Academic Planning, Professor James Agbolade, and the Bursar, Mr Festus Oladokun.
The meeting also brought together principal officers of FUNAAB and the Senior Deputy Registrar in the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, Mr Moses Ayanda.
The collaboration highlights the importance of institutional partnerships in strengthening Nigeria’s expanding university system. As new universities receive approval to operate, mentoring arrangements can provide mechanisms through which emerging institutions benefit from the administrative and academic experience accumulated by older universities.
For students who will eventually enrol at Owolabi University, the quality of the institution’s preparation before commencement will be critical. Adequate academic staff, functional facilities, credible curricula and effective student-support systems will determine whether the university can provide the standard of education expected of a licensed Nigerian university.
The partnership also creates an opportunity for knowledge exchange between the institutions. While FUNAAB can provide experience and technical guidance, the emergence of new institutions such as Owolabi University could create opportunities for future collaboration in research, staff development, academic programmes and other areas.
The next major milestone will be the NUC Resource Verification exercise, which will assess the readiness of Owolabi University to proceed with its planned academic operations.
With FUNAAB committed to supporting the process, the mentoring arrangement is expected to assist Owolabi University in building the systems and resources required for a credible and sustainable entry into Nigeria’s higher education landscape.
