Bells University of Technology, Ota, has appointed Professor Abel Olajide Olorunnisola as its new Vice-Chancellor, following the recommendation of the institution’s Governing Council.
The Board of Trustees approved the appointment at its meeting on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, and it takes effect from August 1, 2026.
The Board and Council commended Professor Olorunnisola’s academic credentials, administrative record and international exposure, describing him as well positioned to advance BellsTech’s mission as a centre of excellence in technology-driven education. His appointment is expected to mark a new phase of strategic growth, internationalisation and academic distinction for the university as it enters its third decade.
Professor Olorunnisola, 57, brings more than three decades of academic and administrative experience spanning both Nigeria’s public and private university systems. He holds a Second Class Upper Honours degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, obtained in 1989, as well as a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Wood Products Engineering from the University of Ibadan, earned in 1992 and 1997 respectively. He also holds a Professional Diploma in Management from the Nigerian Institute of Management, obtained in 1999.
He is a registered Agricultural Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, and a Fellow of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Nigerian Institute of Management, the Materials Science and Technology Society of Nigeria, the Nigerian Institute of Environmental Engineers and the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers. His academic reach has extended to visiting professorships at Northwestern University in the United States, the University of Pirassununga in Brazil, and Pan African University Institutes in Ibadan and Tlemcen, Algeria.
At the University of Ibadan, Professor Olorunnisola rose through several levels of academic leadership. He served as Sub-Dean of the Faculty of Technology, Sub-Dean of the Postgraduate School, Head of the Department of Wood Products Engineering, and Dean of the Postgraduate School between 2010 and 2014. He later served on the University’s Governing Council from 2019 to 2021, chairing its Committee on Computerisation of University Processes and sitting on the Finance and General Purposes Committee, among others.
As Dean of the Postgraduate School, then the largest in West Africa, he introduced 23 new programmes, built up a one billion naira reserve through improved fiscal discipline, and drove digital transformation through online admissions and electronic transcript processing. He also set up scholarship schemes for international students and persons living with disabilities, alongside a conference grant scheme to support research among postgraduate students.
Since November 2021, Professor Olorunnisola has served as Vice-Chancellor of Dominion University, Ibadan. Within four years, he oversaw the resource verification exercise that led to the university receiving its operating licence from the National Universities Commission in 2022, with all academic programmes securing full accreditation between 2022 and 2024. The university produced three sets of graduating classes in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and established a new Faculty of Allied Health Sciences covering Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science and Public Health.
Under his leadership, the university also secured a 500,000 Euro Erasmus+ grant for staff and student exchange with Greek universities, and hosted the Cisco Networking Academy Safari in April 2024, the first of its kind in Oyo State.
Professor Olorunnisola’s research portfolio includes 11 books, 17 book chapters, 93 journal articles and 31 conference papers, with a Google Scholar h-index of 19 and 1,382 citations as of March 2026. He holds a patent for a briquette machine developed from his research, and his work on bamboo processing, rattan utilisation, renewable energy and fibre-reinforced composites has shaped policy across Africa.
He is a member of the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan’s Expert Task-forces on Bamboo for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Bamboo Development, and has contributed to the development of five ISO standards for bamboo products. He has supervised 18 Ph.D. theses to completion, with several of his students now holding professorial and leadership positions in Nigerian and international universities. His research has been funded by bodies including the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The African Academy of Sciences, TWAS/CSIR, FAO and UNCTAD.
In his application for the BellsTech position, Professor Olorunnisola outlined a vision built on three pillars: boosting investible funds, repositioning the university to lead national technological advancement, and strengthening its international profile. He described BellsTech as currently moving between the differentiation and monopoly stages of the university life cycle, having already crossed the survival and sustainability phases, and said he was committed to steering the institution towards world-class status within five years.
His priorities align with the university’s 2026 to 2031 Development Plan, which targets 30 to 40 percent growth in internally generated revenue, a 50 percent increase in research output, 70 percent graduate employability and full digital governance implementation.
In approving the appointment, the Board of Trustees said it had full confidence in Professor Olorunnisola’s ability to move Bells University of Technology forward, pointing to his wealth of experience and professional standing as vital qualities for the institution at this stage of its development. Students and staff keen to follow more appointments and policy updates across Nigerian universities can find continuing coverage on Students Forum Nigeria.
On a personal note, Professor Olorunnisola is married to Dr Omolola Olubunmi Olorunnisola, and they have three children. He is fluent in Yoruba and English, with a working knowledge of French and German. His hobbies include reading biographies and leadership literature, and writing computer programmes.
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