The Board of Trustees of Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University (AATU), Ilorin, Kwara State, has approved the appointment of Professor Olayemi Mikail Olaniyi as the University's first substantive Vice-Chancellor.

The University Registrar, Emmanuel Obafemi, who conveyed this in a statement on Sunday, said the appointment was ratified at the Board's third meeting held on 4 September 2026 and took effect from the same date.

The Pro-Chancellor/Council Chairman, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na'Allah, described the decision as well considered, noting that Professor Olaniyi is expected to bring his administrative and academic experience to bear on the day-to-day running of the University, working closely with the Council on institutional efficiency and development.

Professor Olaniyi, 47, was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, and is a Professor of Computer Engineering with two decades of academic experience in computer security, intelligent and embedded systems, applied medical informatics, and open distance learning.

He holds a National Diploma in Computer Technology from the Federal Polytechnic, Offa; a Bachelor of Technology and a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering (Computer Security) from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho; and an M.Sc. in Electronic and Computer Engineering, obtained with Distinction, from Lagos State University.

Olaniyi rose through the academic ranks at Bells University of Technology, Ota, before becoming Professor of Computer Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, in 2021.

He has held several administrative positions, including Deputy Dean, School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, FUT Minna; Head, Department of Computer Engineering, FUT Minna; and, until his appointment, Dean, Faculty of Computing, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

The new Vice-Chancellor has over 195 academic publications, has attracted research grants exceeding N350 million, and holds membership of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Computer Society, IEEE, ACM, and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), where he is a Registered Computer Engineer.

Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University is a private not-for-profit university licensed in April 2025, with National Universities Commission (NUC) approved degree programmes running since September 2025 at its campus in Oke-Ogba, Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State.