By Sunday Ogunkuade
When Professor Razaq Olatunde Rom Kalilu assumed office as the substantive Vice-Chancellor of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, on June 12, 2024, expectations were understandably high. Having earlier served for one year in acting capacity, many stakeholders believed he possessed the administrative experience, intellectual depth, and leadership capacity needed to reposition the institution for greater relevance in a highly competitive Nigerian university system.
Two years after his appointment, the verdict from many quarters is unmistakable: Professor Kalilu has brought uncommon energy, stability, innovation, and purposeful leadership to LAUTECH. In a country where public universities are often weighed down by industrial crises, inadequate funding, infrastructural decay, and policy instability, the achievements recorded under Prof. Kalilu within a relatively short period have continued to attract admiration from academics, students, parents, and education stakeholders across Nigeria and beyond.Today, LAUTECH stands stronger academically, administratively, and globally. Professor Kalilu’s impressive academic and administrative background prepared him adequately for the enormous responsibility of leading one of Nigeria’s foremost state universities.
A graduate of the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, where he studied Fine Arts, Kalilu later obtained his Master’s degree and PhD from the University of Ibadan. He joined LAUTECH in 1992 and became a Professor of Arts and Art History in 1999 at an unusually young age.
Beyond the classroom, he built a reputation as a pioneering scholar. He developed Nigeria’s first B.Tech degree programme in Fine and Applied Arts and introduced Digital Art into tertiary education curriculum in Nigeria. He also pioneered postgraduate curricula in studio arts and produced several “firsts” in Nigerian art scholarship, including the first PhD in Form and Material Technology in Fine Art globally.
Before becoming Vice-Chancellor, he served the university in several capacities, including Head of Department, Dean, Chairman of the Committee of Deans, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, among others.His experience and exposure have clearly reflected in the quality of leadership he has brought to LAUTECH.
Perhaps one of the greatest achievements of Prof. Kalilu’s administration is the restoration of institutional stability and fiscal discipline. Under his leadership, LAUTECH has maintained uninterrupted academic activities with minimal disruptions. At a time when many public universities struggle with strikes and internal crises, LAUTECH has enjoyed relative peace, academic stability, and administrative sanity. Workers’ salaries and entitlements are paid promptly, while staff promotions are processed as and when due. These measures have significantly improved staff morale and strengthened confidence in the university administration.
Observers within the institution note that Prof. Kalilu inherited several administrative and structural challenges but has steadily restored confidence in the system through transparency, discipline, and strategic management.
One major hallmark of Prof. Kalilu’s administration has been aggressive academic expansion and diversification. In line with the vision of the Oyo State Government to transform LAUTECH from a purely technology-driven institution into a broader conventional university, several new academic programmes have been introduced and operationalised. Among the newly approved programmes are Theatre Arts, Psychology, Mass Communication, Linguistics, Yoruba, and Political Science, all of which successfully passed the National Universities Commission’s resource verification process.
Similarly, the LAUTECH Open and Distance Learning Centre expanded its academic offerings with the introduction of Cyber Security Science, Science Laboratory Technology, Transport Management, Crop Production and Soil Science, as well as Crop and Environmental Protection. The university is also making serious progress toward establishing a Faculty of Law, a development many stakeholders believe will further strengthen LAUTECH’s academic reputation and attract more students nationwide.
Another landmark achievement under Prof. Kalilu is the establishment of the Institute of African Studies. The institute, which houses the Centre for Material Culture Studies, Centre for Non-Material Culture Studies, and the Centre for Ogbomoso Studies, reflects the Vice-Chancellor’s vision of positioning LAUTECH as a globally relevant institution rooted in African intellectual and cultural identity. The initiative has been widely commended as a bold step toward preserving African heritage while promoting interdisciplinary scholarship and global engagement.
Under Prof. Kalilu’s leadership, LAUTECH has significantly expanded its international collaborations and research visibility. The university now maintains productive partnerships with institutions such as the University of Kentucky and the University of Utah in the United States, as well as the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation and Bayer Foundation in Germany.
One of the major outcomes of these partnerships is the establishment of the Humboldt Research Hub – Centre for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases in LAUTECH. Research output within the university has also grown remarkably. No fewer than 23 researchers from the institution secured TETFund Institution-Based Research grants, while several others won National Research Fund awards for innovative projects in healthcare, herbal medicine, agriculture, and material technology.
Notably, the Form and Material Technology research team led by Prof. Kalilu developed stoneware ceramic glazes from horticultural and animal waste materials, a breakthrough with significant environmental and industrial implications.
LAUTECH students have also continued to distinguish themselves nationally and internationally under the present administration. Students of the university represented Nigeria at the 2025 NexGen Innovation Challenge in London, where they showcased technological innovations before global investors.
Similarly, LAUTECH emerged first runner-up at the African Energy Innovation Challenge 2025 after competing against over 400 teams from 40 countries. Their project, GRID-GUARD, focused on solving energy infrastructure challenges.
The university also won the Southwest regional stage of the Deep Funding National AI-Based Project Competition Hackathon with an AI-powered medication dispenser designed for elderly and disabled care.
In another remarkable feat, a 400-level medical student of the institution, Muili Abdulbasit Opeyemi, secured an international grant to present his research work in Qatar, becoming one of only two global recipients selected for the programme. The university’s College of Health Sciences equally recorded academic success by winning the Regional NIMSA Debate Championship after defeating 16 competing institutions. These achievements have further strengthened LAUTECH’s reputation as a centre for innovation, research, and intellectual excellence.
The growing reputation of LAUTECH is also evident in its rising global rankings. In the 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, LAUTECH retained its position as the best state university in Nigeria. Similarly, the university ranked second nationally in the 2025 Interdisciplinary Science Ranking and placed within the 251–300 global category. These accomplishments are strong indicators that the university is steadily gaining international recognition under Prof. Kalilu’s leadership.
Beyond academics, Prof. Kalilu has also prioritised staff welfare and students’ participation in governance. One of the most applauded initiatives of the administration is the establishment of a modern Crèche at the College of Health Sciences for staff members with young children. The project reflects the administration’s commitment to creating a supportive and family-friendly work environment.
The Vice-Chancellor also approved the inauguration of a 12-member Caretaker/Electoral Committee to oversee the return of students’ unionism after many years of suspension. The development reopened democratic participation among over 40,000 students and strengthened communication between management and students.
Recognising the security challenges facing tertiary institutions across Nigeria, Prof. Kalilu strengthened campus security through collaboration with conventional security agencies, private security outfits, and vigilante groups.
Infrastructure development has equally received massive attention, while the administration has continued to explore creative funding strategies to execute developmental projects. The university has also recruited additional teaching and non-teaching staff, thereby improving academic delivery, administrative efficiency, and employment opportunities within Oyo State.
Prof. Kalilu’s achievements have earned him widespread recognition both within and outside Nigeria. In July 2025, he received the Transparency Africa Award for integrity, discipline, and incorruptibility after what organisers described as a thorough due diligence process. A month later, he was honoured with the Kwame Nkrumah Grow Africa Excellence Award for his contributions to youth empowerment, public service, and African development. These honours further reinforced his growing reputation as an administrator driven by vision, accountability, and service.
As Professor Rom Kalilu approaches the midpoint of his five-year tenure, many stakeholders believe his administration has already laid a strong foundation for a greater LAUTECH. From academic expansion and global partnerships to research breakthroughs, infrastructural growth, staff welfare, and institutional stability, the university has witnessed remarkable transformation within just two years.
Without doubt, Prof. Kalilu has demonstrated that visionary leadership, discipline, and innovation can still thrive within Nigeria’s public university system. If the pace of the last two years is sustained, LAUTECH may indeed realise his ambitious vision of becoming one of the leading universities not only in Nigeria or Africa, but globally. For now, however, one fact remains undeniable: under Professor Rom Kalilu, LAUTECH is not merely growing; it is transforming.
Sunday Ogunkuade
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