Professor of English Gbenga Ibileye becomes FUL’s fourth VC

The Federal University Lokoja (FUL) has appointed Gbenga Ibileye, a professor of English, as its fourth vice-chancellor.

The appointment was announced on Tuesday in a statement by Rebecca Okojie, the university registrar.

Ibileye’s appointment was approved by the institution’s governing council, chaired by Zubairu Tajo Abdallah.

The selection was said to have followed a transparent, merit-based, and highly competitive process.

Ibileye contested against 10 other academic professors who were subjected to an extensive interview exercise.

The candidates were shortlisted after a series of screenings, interactions, and evaluations according to the guidelines for the appointing of federal universities principal officers.

For the finale, Ibileye scored a total of 91.9 points, coming first to  succeed Olayemi Akinwumi, the outgoing VC.

Ibileye will begin his administration by February 16, 2026.

The university management described Ibileye’s appointment “as most impactful in the history of the university”.

The governing council congratulated the other candidates who participated in exercise for their professionalism and dedication.

The council assured that it will continue to commit to transparency, due process, and excellence in governance.

“As Federal University Lokoja prepares for a new phase of leadership, the Council expressed confidence that Prof. Gbenga Ibileye will consolidate on existing achievements and steer the University towards greater academic excellence, innovation, and global competitiveness,” the statement added.

Ibileye started lecturing at the Ahmadu Bello University in the 1990s, while he became a professor in 2010.

His academic research has covered different areas including legal, forensic linguistics, and critical discourse analysis.

The scholar has supervised different academic works up to masters and doctorate levels.

He has garnered experience in Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, Pragmatics, Contemporary English Usage, English and Communication Skills, and Advanced Composition.

Ibileye is from the Department of English and Literary Studies at the FUL where he coordinates the General Studies Unit.