Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has approved the appointed Professor Ayodeji Olawunmi Badejo as the new Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University.
Badejo, a Professor of Counselling Psychology and experienced university administrator, will succeed Distinguished Professor Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello, mni, NPOM, whose five-year tenure will end on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
She will assume office on Sunday, September 20, for a single five-year term.
The appointment, announced on Wednesday, was contained in a statement by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, and a separate release by the Centre for Information and Public Relations, LASU.
According to the university, the appointment was made in accordance with the provisions of the LASU Law 2004, as amended, which provides for the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor.
Badejo, born on August 4, 1962, has spent more than three decades in academia, with a career spanning teaching, research, administration, mentorship, curriculum development and student development.
She obtained her NCE in 1983, Bachelor of Education degree in 1986, Master of Education degree in 1988 and PhD in Guidance and Counselling in 1998.
She began her academic career at LASU in 1990 and rose through the ranks to become a Professor. She has subsequently occupied several academic and administrative positions within the university.
Among her previous responsibilities were membership of the LASU Governing Council, Chairmanship of the Senate Curriculum Committee and Dean of the Faculty of Education.
As Chairman of the Senate Curriculum Committee, Badejo was involved in curriculum development and validation, academic planning and the alignment of LASU’s programmes with the requirements of the National Universities Commission.
During her tenure as Dean of the Faculty of Education, the university said about 20 academic staff were promoted to the professorial cadre, while all programmes in the Faculty obtained full NUC accreditation.
Badejo also served as Chairman of the LASU International School Board, where she was credited with initiatives that improved the school’s financial and operational position.
According to the university, the school’s capital reserves rose from approximately N88,000 to N121 million during her tenure, while structural financial deficits were eliminated. The period also recorded growth in staff strength and student enrolment, alongside sustained strong performance in public examinations.
Her record also includes extensive doctoral supervision and academic mentorship. Between 2012 and 2026, she successfully supervised 23 PhD graduates, earning recognition as a “Mentor of Mentors.”
One of the researchers she supervised received the 2024 Best PhD Thesis Award, according to the university.
Badejo is also a prolific scholar, having authored four books, contributed 17 book chapters and published more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, taking her total scholarly output to over 80 major publications.
Her areas of academic interest have included counselling psychology, youth development, gender and socio-cultural issues, as well as behavioural challenges among young people.
She has also been involved in research ethics and governance, serving as Chairman of the LASU Research Ethics Committee, where she has overseen the ethical review of research protocols and promoted professional training for committee members.
Beyond LASU, Badejo is a Fellow of the Counselling Association of Nigeria and the Association of Professional Counsellors in Nigeria. She is also affiliated with professional and academic bodies, including the American Psychological Association and the Nigerian Academy of Education.
Her contributions have earned her national and international recognition, including the Key to the City of Niagara Falls, New York. She received fellowship recognition from CASSON in 2015 and APROCON in 2022, while in 2025 she was honoured in Pretoria, South Africa, with a Distinguished Personality Award for excellence in higher education in Africa.
The incoming Vice-Chancellor will take over from Olatunji-Bello, whose administration has led LASU through a significant period of institutional development during her five-year tenure.
As Olatunji-Bello prepares to leave office, attention will naturally shift to the legacy of her administration and the expectations surrounding the next phase of the university’s development.
Badejo’s long service within LASU means she will be taking over an institution whose structures, challenges and opportunities she already understands from the inside.
Her extensive experience in academic administration, curriculum development, research, financial management, student mentorship and institutional governance is expected to shape her approach as she assumes the university’s top executive position.
For the incoming Vice-Chancellor, the task will be to sustain the progress recorded under the outgoing administration while responding to emerging challenges in higher education, including academic excellence, research, staff development, student welfare, innovation and institutional sustainability.
With more than three decades of experience at LASU and a record spanning teaching, scholarship and university administration, Badejo now faces the responsibility of translating that experience into leadership of the entire institution.
Her assumption of office on September 20 will therefore mark a new chapter for LASU, as the university moves from the Olatunji-Bello era into an administration led by an academic who has spent much of her career within the institution.