Professor Badejo Ayodeji Olawumi, née Faji, is taking over the leadership of Lagos State University with more than three decades of experience spanning teaching, research, counselling psychology, university administration and academic mentorship.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approved her appointment as the university’s Vice-Chancellor on September 9, 2026. She succeeds Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, whose five-year tenure ends in September. Badejo is expected to assume office on September 20 for a single five-year term.
Born on August 4, 1962, Badejo is a Professor of Guidance and Counselling and a long-serving academic at LASU.
Her appointment puts an experienced university administrator at the helm of one of Nigeria’s largest and most prominent state-owned universities.
From NCE to Professor
Badejo’s academic journey began with an NCE in 1983, followed by a Bachelor of Education degree in 1986 and a Master of Education degree in 1988. She subsequently obtained a PhD in Guidance and Counselling in 1998.
Her postgraduate degrees were obtained from the University of Lagos, where she studied Guidance and Counselling.
Over the course of her academic career, she progressed through the university lecturer ranks before attaining professorial status. Her career has centred on counselling psychology, student development, education and the broader role of universities in developing human capital.
LASU’s academic staff directory lists her as a Professor in its Faculty of Education-related academic structure.
A Long Career at LASU
Badejo has held several academic and administrative positions at LASU, giving her considerable familiarity with the university she will now lead.
Among her responsibilities was membership of the LASU Governing Council and chairmanship of the Senate Curriculum Committee.
As chairman of the Senate Curriculum Committee, she was involved in curriculum development and validation, academic planning and efforts to align LASU’s programmes with the requirements of the National Universities Commission.
She also contributed to the development and introduction of new academic programmes at the university.
Her experience extended to the Faculty of Education, where she served as Dean.
During her tenure as dean, about 20 academic staff reportedly rose to the professorial cadre, while all programmes presented by the faculty secured full accreditation from the NUC.
That record is particularly significant because accreditation remains one of the central measures of academic quality in Nigeria’s university system.
Building a Reputation for Financial Management
Beyond teaching and research, Badejo has also accumulated experience in managing university-related institutions and resources.
As chairman of the LASU International School Board, she oversaw a period during which the school’s capital reserves reportedly increased from about N88 million to N121 million. The school also eliminated structural financial deficits during her tenure, according to the profile released following her appointment.
The institution recorded growth in staff strength and student enrolment while maintaining strong performance in public examinations.
The experience could prove relevant as she takes over LASU at a time when Nigerian public universities are under increasing pressure to diversify their revenue sources while maintaining affordability and academic standards.
Mentor to Doctoral Scholars
Between 2012 and 2026, she supervised 23 PhD graduates, a record that earned her the description “Mentor of Mentors” in the profile issued after her appointment.
One of the scholars she supervised received the 2024 Best PhD Thesis Award.
Her emphasis on postgraduate education also fits into the wider challenge facing Nigerian universities: building a larger pipeline of researchers and academics capable of replacing an ageing professoriate and strengthening research output.
Badejo has also built a substantial academic publication record.
She has authored four books, contributed to 17 book chapters and published more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, giving her more than 80 major scholarly publications, according to the profile accompanying her appointment.
Her professional affiliations include the American Psychological Association and the Nigerian Academy of Education.
Recognition Beyond the University
Badejo has received several professional and international recognitions.
Among them is the Key to the City of Niagara Falls, New York, presented in recognition of her professional contributions.
She received professional fellowship recognition from the Counselling Association of Nigeria-related professional circles, including CASSON in 2015 and APROCON in 2022. In 2025, she received a Distinguished Personality Award for excellence in higher education in Africa in Pretoria, South Africa.
Challenges Ahead at LASU
Badejo inherits a university that has expanded considerably under her predecessor, Professor Ibijoke Olatunji-Bello.
Olatunji-Bello’s administration reported a significant increase in LASU’s internally generated revenue, from about ₦3 billion to ₦13 billion, while the university also recorded strong accreditation results and positioned itself as one of Nigeria’s most digitally advanced universities.
The new Vice-Chancellor therefore takes over an institution with considerable momentum but also the familiar pressures facing Nigerian public universities: funding, infrastructure, staff welfare, research productivity, accreditation, graduate employability and maintaining academic standards amid rising demand for university education.
Her five-year tenure will test whether that experience can be translated into institution-wide leadership at one of Lagos’s most important public institutions.
