Prof. Olubunmi Abayomi Omotesho

Prof. Olubunmi Abayomi Omotesho, a distinguished agricultural economist, erudite academic and astute administrator, is the new Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), University of Ilorin.
The don, who is an indigene of Iyamoye in the Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, was born on May 28, 1959.
He attended Capital School, Kaduna, from 1964 to 1968 and also trained at St. Mark’s Anglican Primary School, Offa, between 1968 and 1970.
Prof. Omotesho proceeded to AbdulAzeez Atta Memorial College, Okene, Kogi State where he was educated from 1970 to 1974. He also attended the then Kwara State College of Technology (now Kwara State Polytechnic), Ilorin, between 1974 and 1976 for his Advanced Level qualifications.
In 1976, this outstanding academic secured admission into the University of Ibadan for his Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics, which he earned in 1979. He, thereafter, proceeded for his Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics at the same University and bagged the qualification in 1981. He capped his scintillating academic laurels with a doctorate degree in Agricultural Economics from the same University of Ibadan, as a University scholar, in 1991.
Prof. Omotesho, who was a Federal Government scholar during his undergraduate days at the University of Ibadan, began his career as a Teaching and Research Assistant at the University of Ibadan in 1981.
In 1984, Prof. Omotesho joined the services of the University of Ilorin. He has since taught different courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at the University leading to the production of several other agriculturists. He became a Lecturer II in 1988. He was promoted to the rank of Lecturer I in 1991.
Prof. Omotesho’s steady contributions to the attainment of the University’s corporate objectives earned him elevation to the status of Senior Lecturer in 1993. He was promoted to the status of Associate Professor in 1996. He eventually attained the pinnacle of his academic career in 2000 when he was appointed Professor of Agricultural Economics.
Since 1984 when he joined the services of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Omotesho has held so many academic and administrative positions in addition to his core duties of teaching, research and community services. He was the Departmental Examinations Coordinator at the Department of Agricultural Economics from 1985 to 1991.He also served as Departmental Seminar Coordinator between 1987 and 1994.
Prof. Omotesho served as a Member of the Ceremonials Committee from 1992 to 1997. He was also a Member of the University Committee on Timetable and Room Usages between 1997 and 1999 and a Member of the University Committee on Examinations, Scholarships and Prizes from 1997 to 1999.
This award-winning academic served as the Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics from 1999 to 2008.He was also the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin between 2008 and 2012.
Prof. Omotesho was also a Member of the institution’s Governing Council from 2009 to 2013.He has been a Member of the Senate of the University of Ilorin since 2000.He was the Dean, Student Affairs of the University between 2012 and 2016.
In 2019, he was appointed Director of Academic Planning. He held the position for three years before returning to the Department of Agricultural Economics to continue his core responsibilities of teaching before his selection as one of the deputies to the 11th Chief Executive of the University, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, on Monday, December 19, 2022.
Prof. Omotesho, who delivered the University of Ilorin’s 158th inaugural lecture entitled “Let The Small-Scale Farmer Be in Good Standing” in 2015, has authored so many intellectually stimulating publications. He has no fewer than 145 publications single-handedly or jointly authored in reputable local, national and international levels to his credit.
Aside teaching, research and community services, Prof. Omotesho has supervised innumerable undergraduate long essays, 46 Master’s theses and 21 doctorate dissertations in the last four decades of quality services at the University of Ilorin.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor has served on several accreditation teams constituted by the National Universities Commission to various universities and those put together by the National Board for Technical Education to several Polytechnics and Monotechnics. He is also a member of several professional bodies within and outside Nigeria. He is a Member of the International Farm Management Association, the Nigerian Association of Agricultural Economists, the Agricultural Society of Nigeria, the Nigerian Rural Sociological Association, the Statistical Society of Nigeria and Farm Management Association of Nigeria. He is equally a Member of the Agricultural Economics Society, United Kingdom, and Member, Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Association of Evaluators.
Prof. Omotesho, who is a Fellow of the Nigerian Association of Evaluators, is happily married and blessed with children.