Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University (AATU), Kwara State, has appointed Professor Olayemi Mikail Olaniyi as its first substantive Vice-Chancellor.
The appointment was approved by the university’s Board of Trustees and ratified at its third meeting held on September 4, 2026, taking effect from the same date.
In a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Monday and signed by the university’s Registrar, Emmanuel Obafemi, the institution said the appointment was part of efforts to strengthen its academic and administrative development.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the University Council, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, described the decision as well considered, saying Olaniyi was expected to bring his academic and administrative experience to bear on the day-to-day running of the institution.
He added that the new Vice-Chancellor would work closely with the Council to promote institutional efficiency and development.
Olaniyi, 47, was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, and is a Professor of Computer Engineering with about two decades of academic experience spanning computer security, intelligent and embedded systems, applied medical informatics and open distance learning.
According to the statement, he obtained a National Diploma in Computer Technology from the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, before earning a Bachelor of Technology and a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering, specialising in Computer Security, from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho.
He also holds a distinction in M.Sc. Electronic and Computer Engineering from Lagos State University.
Olaniyi began his academic career at Bells University of Technology, Ota, before becoming a Professor of Computer Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, in 2021.
He has held several administrative positions, including Deputy Dean, School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, FUT Minna; Head of the Department of Computer Engineering, FUT Minna; and Dean, Faculty of Computing, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), a position he held until his appointment as Vice-Chancellor.
The university said Olaniyi has more than 195 academic publications and has attracted research grants exceeding N350 million.
He is also a member of several professional organisations, including the Nigerian Computer Society, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).
He is a registered Computer Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
His appointment comes after the National Universities Commission approved 15 additional academic programmes for AATU for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The newly approved programmes include Law, Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science, Chemistry, Medical Physics, Public Health, Political Science, Public Administration, Artificial Intelligence, Community Health, Intelligence and Security Studies, Microbiology and Mass Communication.
AATU was licensed by the NUC in April 2025, with its approved degree programmes commencing in September 2025 at its campus in Oke-Ogba, Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State.
The university said Olaniyi is married with children.
