Surajudeen-Bakinde secures VC tenure extension in The Gambia
By Mubarak Oladosu
A distinguished scholar from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Ilorin, Prof. Nazmat Toyin Surajudeen-Bakinde, has successfully concluded a two-year volunteer assignment under the Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (DTAC) in The Gambia, during which she served as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology (USET), Brikama.
The assignment, which ended in June 2026, was undertaken alongside 24 other Corps members deployed by the Federal Government of Nigeria to The Gambia and Sierra Leone.
Following her distinguished service, the government of The Gambia and the Governing Council of USET have extended Prof. Surajudeen-Bakinde’s tenure as the substantive Vice Chancellor of the institution under a separate arrangement.
The University of Ilorin alumna was deployed by the Federal Government of Nigeria through DTAC, an agency of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to provide technical and academic assistance to USET. During the deployment, she was selected, after a rigorous competitive screening exercise, as the first female substantive Vice Chancellor of USET on the heels of the institution’s upgrade from the Gambia Technical Training Institute, GTTI.
In her first two years in office, Prof. Surajudeen-Bakinde, working with other key stakeholders, produced the first cohort of home-grown engineers across various engineering specialisations in The Gambia to drive national infrastructure and industrial development. Her administration also secured full accreditation for all degree programmes from the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority, NAQAA, of The Gambia.
In addition, the don championed the establishment of the Entrepreneurship Hub and Innovation Lab, EHIL; the Entrepreneurship Research, Innovation and Development Clusters, ERID; and the USET Development, Services and Training, DST, initiatives. These platforms are designed to foster youth empowerment and commercialise research outputs. She further facilitated international postgraduate and professional development opportunities for academic and technical staff of USET in institutions across the world.
Prior to her international assignment, Prof. Surajudeen-Bakinde served the University of Ilorin in several capacities, including Acting Head, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering; Assistant Director, Administration, Centre for International Education; and member of various Senate and Faculty committees.
Reacting to the development, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, commended Prof. Surajudeen-Bakinde on her successful TAC assignment and the tenure extension.
In a statement issued by the Director of Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin, Mr Kunle Akogun, the Vice Chancellor noted that her outstanding accomplishments on the international stage reinforce the status of the University of Ilorin as a foundry for global leadership and academic excellence.
The Vice Chancellor wished her continued wisdom and success as she consolidates her transformational agenda at USET, The Gambia, on behalf of the University of Ilorin.
