By Raheem Adedoyin.
Today is her birthday, but don’t expect Professor Fransisca Oladipo to roll out the drum for celebration.
Instead, go look for her at her desk or in the classroom or on the farm at Thomas Adewumi University ( TAU) , Oko Irese, Kwara State.
Oladipo is the Vice Chancellor of TAU, Nigeria’s fastest growing private university that has been in the news for the right reasons: academic excellence, robust community engagement and a one-stop shop facility.
Thomas Adewumi University, Oko is an offshoot of the celebrated Thomas Adewumi international College (TAICO) , Oko which was established in 1997.
TAU, licensed in 2021 by the Federal Government of Nigeria as a Private University is only four years old while Oladipo has been at the helm of affairs for less than three years
Yet, Oladipo’s footprints in the sand of history in that citadel of learning is remarkable. Her credentials are as intimidating as her stellar performance as university leader.
Francisca Oladipo, is a Professor of Computer Science and Secretary-General of the Consortium of Universities in Kwara State (KU8+) . She also serves as Vice-President and Secretary to the Board of VODAN a leading international network of African Scientists and researchers from universities in Africa
, Europe and Asia dedicated to developing Afrocentric systems that would ensure data ownership in residence. She previously served as pioneer Director, Quality Assurance, a member of the Governing Council– the first female elected to the Council, and the first female Head of the Department of Computer Science at the Federal University Lokoja Nigeria. She was a Consultant at the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences of Tilburg University, Netherlands, and had served previously at Kampala International University (KIU), Uganda as the Director of Research, Innovations, and International Relations and Lecturer and Researcher, in the Department of Computer Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.
As the Executive Coordinator of the Virus Outbreak Data Africa Network (VODAN Africa), she led the initiative to give Africa a place in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic through the deployment of the only first and only successful implementation of machine-actionable FAIR Data Points in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic across Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and the Netherlands. She also led the expansion of the initiative into Tanzania, Somalia, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, China, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan.
Francisca has won many grants and co-authored several award-winning proposals for donor-founded projects including the Google ExploreCSR Grant, Philip’s Foundation Grants, Google Rapid COVID-19 Grant, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs Orange Knowledge Program, Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship, Dutch Development Bank Grant for capacity Strengthening in Africa, Google ExploreCSR Grant, Tensorflow Add on Funding, Deep Learning IndabaX Hosting Grant. She is also a reviewer and editorial board member of many international scientific publications.
TAU has received recognition as one of the fastest-growing private Universities in Nigeria, according to the World Universities RankinOrganizations: Webometric and Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings released in 2024/25
Ranked 4th position in Kwara, 11th among all the private Universities in Nigeria and 39th in the over 300 Universities in the whole of the country.
This ranking attainment which was released in June 2024 is placed on the impacts of Universities in delivering Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as highlighted by the United Nations.
Among TAU partner organizations are: Oracle Academy, Googles Research, MitopenCourseware, Courseral For Campus, GitHub Campus, and KU8 Consortium of University in Kwara.
Thomas Adewumi University is the only University in Nigeria that is certified by NOCN United Kingdom.
I had a one -on -one recently with
Prof. Franscisca Oladipo- and you, she us reporter’s delight. She provides a captivating insight into her drive in TAU:
“When I came in, the university had no strategic plan, a lot of things were happening but not coordinated and I had to produce one. We started with 13 academic programmes and by September 2025, we are going to admit our first set of medical students. This together with law were never in the plan before but was planned for after 25 years of the university’s establishment. I resumed in August and by October, we got NUC’s approval to start law though it was daunting but I knew we must offer signature academic programmes if we want to stand out.
“As regards the NOCN certificate, this is just for our students to get additional skills with a certificate recognised by the UK government. And for any students to graduate here, they must earn a minimum of two ICT certificates from the various ones we have which includes Oracle, Microsoft and others.
“We do practically everything ourselves and for us to take even our vehicle outside to the mechanic, it must be beyond us. ”
TAU has won not less than $175,000 in grant since she came in; that is a major relief to a university that had relied solely on the generosity and sole sacrifices of the founder and co-founder ( Engr. Dr. Johnson Adewumi and Dr. Mrs Gloria Adewumi) to run the institution before she came on board.
Oladipo has her sight trained on the number one spot in nigerian universities ranking.
” In the next five years, I see TAU becoming the leading private university in Nigeria. Though this is quite ambitious, but we have seen the trajectory and know we can achieve it just like we are doing with the ranking from 252 in Nigeria when I was appointed to 152 within a month and forty something.
“In Kwara, we have outranked Al-Hikmah and pushing to do the same with the Kwara State University (KWASU) and University of Ilorin. We can take that leadership position and we are confident that with the commitment of our founder, staff and cooperation of the parents, we will get there in no distant time
“We stand out for excellence in everything we do. We are a one- student university, every student gets attention for whatever it is. We don’t do half measures and are very committed. That is the difference.”
TAU’s meteoric rise to the top through Oladipo’s magnificient leadership excites the proprietor, the management, staff and the students.
TAU’s Founder and Chancellor, Engr. Dr. Johnson Bamidele Adewumi goes memory lane on the recruitment of his star CEO.
” In February and May, 2022 , we had serious challenges; the ship was sinking, there was need for a rescue. I prayerfully desired for a new leadership change to pilot the University to the destination of my choice”
Hoping to build on the success of TAICO as the best secondary school in Nigeria which for 21 years had an expatriate principal, the The TAU founder desired for the University “a person outside Nigeria that would take the University to the next level.”
An intensive search led to Prof Franscisca Oladipo, a Nigerian then serving in East Africa and planning to go to Canada; she declined an employment but offered to consult and get grant for TAU. The founder persisted and she eventually agreed to be screened for the TAU’s top job.
Oladipo was interviewed for the job for two hours by five eminent professors.
“She did not disappoint , they all scored her very very high.” the Chancellor’s recalls with glee.
The Founder relishes the vice chancellor’s transformational leadership
” Francesca is in a class of her own. She is gifted , energetic and so humble. She is an academician of international repute; she is humility personified. She is God’s gift to me.
According to the Founder, the Vice chancellor made a strategic plan to be done within 6 months ” but she did it in 3 months.” She also prepared a 5- year strategic plan but it is almost completed in 2025.
Dr. Adewuni adds: ” Her work ethic is sound.
I thought she is not a Nigerian; she is someone who knows what education is ; she is a great achiever, under her , everyone who wants to work will get work to do”.
Dr. Adewumi doesn’t believe in anyone’s immortality or indispensability but he eulogisises ” Franscisca’s impressive work in TAU”
If you are headhunting for a university CEO, don’t go near TAU
” Taking her away is like cutting my right arm. She has a home in TAU, she has taken possession, taken ownership of TAU”.
The registrar of the University, Mr. Fisoye Kolawole Applauds Oladipo’s leadership qualities
” Our leader, the Vice Chancellor is open to suggestions; if you have an idea, she gives you a free hand. As a Registrar, she gives me a free hand to do my job, she does not interfere, she appeals, not put you under pressure.
” If you are not an insider, you would not know who is the leader in TAU because of her humIility. She doesn’t take decisions without consultation”
The students are no less appreciative of the Vice Chancellor’s mentorship and guidance.
Miss Olushola Oluwasey, the best graduating student at TAU’s first convocation last December, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminology and security studies but is an expert in photography and digital skills. She owes her diverse feat to the DSA ( Department Skill Acquisition) programme introduced by the Vice Chancellor.
“For the DSA , at my 400 level , I picked photography and it has helped me on how to handle camera, to be able to stand out.”
The students , Olyshoka says, have the benefit if accelerated responses to their complaints.
” Through SRC, the school gives the students room to express themselves. They take complaints to the school management and once it gets to the Vice Chancellor, it gets solved within a week. She has been a good mother to us. She has been there for us academically and spiritually.”
Great testimonials from everyone. To sum up: Professor Francisca Oladipo is a Vice Chancellor at home in rural Oko where she gives joy to everyone.
Happy birthday to the Amazon of Adewumi University, Oko Irene. .
****Raheem Adedoyin, Journalist and
Former Commissioner for Education,
Kwara State.
