Professor Mufutau Olaoye Atayese, the current Deputy Vice Chancellor for Development at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, has been appointed as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the newly established Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies, Iragbiji, Osun State.
He is appointed for a single term of five years to lead the University to a new era of agricultural innovation, academic excellence, and national development.
Professor Atayese, a distinguished scholar, parades the cognate experience and pre-requisite academic qualifications to give FUADSI a sound footing and lead it to its desired glory, having been a seasoned academic and administrator.
A savant and eminent scholar, Atayese is a graduate of the prestigious University of Lagos, where he earned his first degree in Botany in 1985. In his pursuit of academic laurels, he obtained an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Plant Physiology in 1990 and 1995, respectively.
The newly appointed VC is an authority in Plant Nutrition, parading a wealth of experience and reservoir of knowledge built over three decades in research and teaching.
He has held positions of responsibility at FUNAAB, including Dean of the College of Plant Science and Crop Production (COLPLANT), Chairman of the Management Committee on Transportation, Chairman of the Committee of Deans (CODAD), Member of the Governing Council, and Deputy Dean of Students’ Affairs, among others.
Atayese has also served on numerous statutory and ad hoc committees, including the Appointments and Promotions Committee for Academics, the Board of Postgraduate Studies, the Academic Planning and Curriculum Committee, and the Task Force on FUNAAB’s relocation to the permanent site.
He also played a significant role, contributing tremendously to the Review of Postgraduate Rules and Regulations in 2025.
His academic accomplishments and leadership roles have earned him numerous honours, including Fellow of the Agricultural Society of Nigeria (FASN) and a Visiting Research Fellowship (M.Sc.) from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, among others.
The Federal Government of Nigeria, through a bill signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on February 20, 2025, established FUADSI. The bill entitled “Federal University of Agriculture and Tropical Studies, Iragbiji, Osun State (Establishment) Bill, 2024” was introduced and read in the Senate on October 2, 2024, sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele.
Oba Abdur-Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi Odundun IV and other stakeholders advocated a name change from Federal University of Agriculture and Tropical Studies to Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies, which the Senate Committee approved.
FUADSI will focus on agricultural training and research, contributing to national food security and offering solutions to Nigeria’s existing food security challenges.
