232 others advance
Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, has promoted 47 academic staff to the professorial cadre, as part of efforts to strengthen its academic staff and transition from a former College of Education to a full-fledged university.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olanrewaju Olaniyan, disclosed this while addressing reporters ahead of the university’s third foundation day celebration.
According to him, the promotions carried out during the 2023/2024 exercise, also affected 86 other lecturers, 116 senior non-academic staff and 30 junior staff.
Olaniyan described the development as a reflection of improved scholarship and staff commitment since the institution’s upgrade.
“Two years ago, we had no staff on the professorial cadre. Today, 47 of our academic staff have been found worthy and promoted as associate professors. This speaks to the quality of scholarship, rigorous assessment and staff dedication,” he said.
Olaniyan noted that the promotions were part of broader reforms following the upgrade of the institution to a University of Education on December 16, 2023, after the passage of the enabling law by the Oyo State House of Assembly and subsequent issuance of an operational certificate by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
He said the university effectively commenced operations in August 2023, and has since recorded remarkable growth, securing approval for 50 academic programmes and admitting 9,620 students across three academic sessions.
A breakdown showed that 2,726 students were admitted for the 2023/2024 session, 3,034 in 2024/2025, and 3,860 in the current academic year, placing the institution among the fastest-growing universities in the country.
Olaniyan also announced that as part of the Foundation Day activities, the university would hold a convocation for 47,623 Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) graduates who completed their programmes between 2004 and 2025, but were never formally presented with certificates.
“This is a moral and institutional debt we must redeem. The last convocation on this campus was held for those who graduated up to 2005. This ceremony will mark a clean transition from the College of Education era to a university system,” he said.
Beyond academic milestones, the vice-chancellor disclosed that the university had emerged as a major economic driver in Oyo town, injecting an estimated N11.2 billion into the local economy between January and November 2025, through housing, transportation, commerce and other services.
On students’ welfare, Olaniyan renewed his appeal to the Federal Government to urgently construct a pedestrian bridge on the Oyo-Ogbomoso Expressway, describing the highway as a major safety concern for students and staff.
Despite the challenges, Olaniyan expressed optimism about the future of the institution, noting that staff have continued to attract local and international research grants, while students are winning academic accolades.
