Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University (AATU), Ilorin, has appointed Professor Olayemi Olaniyi as its first substantive Vice-Chancellor, as the relatively new institution moves to strengthen its academic and administrative leadership.

A statement by the institution’s Registrar, Emmanuel Obafemi, said Prof. Olaniyi’s appointment was approved by the university’s Board of Trustees and ratified at its third meeting held on September 4, 2026, taking effect the same day.

The Pro Chancellor and Council Chairman, Professor Abdul Na’Allah, said the appointment was carefully considered, adding that Olaniyi’s academic and administrative experience would be brought to bear on the university’s day to day operations, institutional efficiency and development.

A Professor of Computer Engineering, Olaniyi, 47, has about two decades of academic experience spanning computer security, intelligent and embedded systems, applied medical informatics and open distance learning.

Before his appointment, he was Dean, Faculty of Computing, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), having previously served in several administrative capacities at the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT Minna).

He was Deputy Dean, School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Head of the Department of Computer Engineering at FUT Minna, after rising through the academic ranks at Bells University of Technology, Ota.

Olaniyi became a Professor of Computer Engineering at FUT Minna in 2021.
He obtained a National Diploma in Computer Technology from the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, a Bachelor of Technology and PhD in Computer Science and Engineering, specialising in Computer Security, from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso.

He also holds a distinction in M.Sc. Electronic and Computer Engineering from Lagos State University.

With more than 195 academic publications to his credit, the new Vice Chancellor has attracted research grants exceeding N350 million and belongs to professional bodies including the Nigerian Computer Society, IEEE and ACM.

He is also a registered Computer Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).