Fountain University Reappoints Karim as VC for Final Term

The Governing Council of Fountain University, Osogbo, has unanimously reappointed Professor Olayinka Ramota Karim as Vice-Chancellor for a second and final four-year term, running from March 1, 2027, to February 28, 2031.

The decision was taken at the Council’s 67th meeting on Monday, September 21, 2026, and announced by the Registrar and Secretary to Council, Mr Sheriff Adeyemi Adenekan. It followed careful consideration of her performance since she assumed office on March 1, 2023, as the university’s fourth substantive Vice-Chancellor and its first female head.

Council Chairman and Pro-Chancellor Dr AWA Ibraheem, FCA, praised Professor Karim’s “doggedness, charisma, humility, perseverance and exceptional leadership acumen.” He described her as an energetic, resourceful and goal-oriented administrator who has surpassed the targets set at the start of her first tenure.

The Council framed the reappointment as a move for continuity and consolidation, citing “unprecedented achievements, breakthroughs and laudable initiatives” that have transformed the institution.

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Key gains under her leadership include massive infrastructure expansion, full National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation of all academic programmes (now exceeding 39, with additional professional recognitions), the introduction of high-demand courses, sharp rises in student enrolment, expanded global partnerships, improved staff welfare and a strengthened Islamic identity aligned with the university’s founding vision by the Nasrul-Lahi-L-Fatih Society (NASFAT).

Enrolment grew by about 84 per cent between the 2021/2022 and 2023/2024 sessions. Postgraduate numbers expanded significantly, and capital projects worth billions of naira have been executed or are underway, including hostels, lecture halls, a dedicated Medical Laboratory Science complex, a 500-seater auditorium and a planned Computer-Based Test centre. Research output and grant attraction have also risen, alongside entrepreneurship initiatives and staff welfare measures such as alignment with the new Federal Government–ASUU salary structure.

Professor Karim, a food scientist born on March 18, 1968, in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, holds a B.Sc. in Food Science and Technology (Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, 1992), an M.Sc. from the University of Ibadan (1995) and a Ph.D. from FUNAAB (2005), where she was the first doctoral graduate of the department. She previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Ilorin and has over three decades of teaching, research and administrative experience. She is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (FNIFST), the College of Food Processors, the Society for Peace Studies and Practice, the Chartered Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria and a Life Fellow of the International Chartered World Learned Society, among other distinctions. She has authored or co-authored more than 195 publications and received numerous national and international awards.

The University Senate and Management team welcomed the reappointment as a well-deserved vote of confidence. Staff and the broader community have expressed widespread excitement at the prospect of continued leadership focused on academic excellence, infrastructure, partnerships, staff welfare and the integration of faith, knowledge and service.

With the renewed mandate taking effect in March 2027, Professor Karim is expected to consolidate existing gains and drive further institutional growth over the next four years. The Chairman and members of Council congratulated her and prayed for divine strength and favour for her and the Management team as they lead Fountain University to greater heights.