The outgoing Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Oyebode Adebowale, has described university leadership as a responsibility built on fairness, accountability and service, saying the Vice-Chancellor’s seat is “not a throne but a trust.”
Speaking at his valedictory ceremony at Trenchard Hall on Saturday, Adebowale said his five-year administration sought to uphold due process, protect academic freedom and advance the interests of staff and students.
The ceremony, themed “Celebrating Legacy, Leadership and Service,” provided an opportunity for the university’s 13th Vice-Chancellor to review his stewardship and reflect on the demands of office.
Adebowale said October 31, 2026, marked five years since he assumed office with a commitment to serve the institution with his heart, strength and wisdom.
He told the gathering that he had returned “not to renew the covenant but to give account of it” as he prepared to hand over leadership.
Reflecting on the responsibilities of a Vice-Chancellor, he said leadership was a burden before it became a privilege, noting that decisions on admissions, appointments, promotions, funding and discipline affected lives and futures.
“I have not always been right, but I have always tried to be fair,” he said.
Adebowale said his approach rested on listening, consultation and respect for the university’s collegial traditions. He added that his administration upheld transparency, defended university autonomy and protected the dignity of the academic profession.
According to him, respect for Senate, staff welfare and students’ future remained central to his decisions, even when defending institutional principles came at a personal cost.
Reviewing his administration’s contributions, Adebowale identified academic excellence, infrastructure and welfare, societal engagement, and institutional stability as four major areas of focus.
He said the university supported research and publications and reviewed academic programmes to strengthen teaching and scholarship, while continuing to attract talented students and academics.
On infrastructure, he cited road repairs, facility renovations and efforts to address electricity and water supply challenges.
He also said the institution strengthened partnerships with governments, industries and international organisations, with its research and expertise contributing to agriculture, health, education and other sectors.
Adebowale attributed the university’s stability during his tenure to dialogue, patience and consultation, thanking staff unions and the Students’ Union for their cooperation.
He acknowledged, however, that significant challenges remained, particularly in funding, infrastructure and staff welfare.
He described the institution he was handing over as “a university that is strong, but a university that is not perfect,” expressing hope that successive administrations would build on the foundations laid.
Explaining his commitment to service, Adebowale recalled his journey through the university as a student, lecturer, professor, director and deputy vice-chancellor before becoming Vice-Chancellor.
The institution, he said, “has given me everything that I am,” adding that he had sought to serve its students, staff, alumni and the nation faithfully, even if imperfectly.
The outgoing Vice-Chancellor also acknowledged the sacrifices made by his wife and children during his tenure.
Recounting the pressure of balancing official duties with family life across different time zones, he said a particularly demanding week passed without him calling home.
One of his children subsequently asked, “Do we still have a father?” Adebowale said he replied that they had a father who was “here, serving.”
He thanked the Pro-Chancellor, Chief Bisi Akande, whom he described as “my father,” for providing stability through the Governing Council.
He also expressed appreciation to his spiritual leaders and religious communities, including the Redeemed Christian Church of God, the University of Ibadan Family Fellowship, the Chapel of Restoration and the university mosque, for their prayers and support.
Addressing his successor, the university’s 14th Vice-Chancellor, Adebowale described the position as the institution’s most demanding and rewarding office.
He said the incoming administration would encounter familiar and emerging challenges, alongside criticism that could be fair or unfair, but would also enjoy the privilege of serving outstanding scholars and students.
