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By Beifoh Osewele
For the first time in its 21-year history, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, has appointed a woman as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of its Governing Council, with the emergence of the immediate-past Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Professor Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello, as the new head of its governing body.
The appointment, made by the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and Visitor to the university, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, took effect on November 1, 2026, for an initial period of three years.
Olatunji-Bello, wife of the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Tunji Bello, becomes the first woman to occupy the position since the establishment of the RCCG-owned university in 2005.
Her appointment comes barely two months after she completed her five-year tenure as the ninth substantive Vice-Chancellor of LASU, where she also made history in September 2021 as the institution’s second female Vice-Chancellor, 28 years after Professor Jadesola Akande, who served between 1989 and 1993.
In a letter dated November 1, 2026, and personally signed by Adeboye, the cleric said the appointment was informed by the confidence reposed in Olatunji-Bello and the expectation that she would contribute to the realisation of the university’s vision.
“I am pleased to notify you of your appointment as the Pro-Chancellor & Chairman of Council, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State.”
“The appointment is a product of the trust which is reposed in you and we believe you will justify your appointment by contributing to move the University to achieve the lofty vision set for it.”
Adeboye explained that her responsibilities as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council would be determined by the existing rules and regulations governing the university.
“As the Pro-Chancellor & Chairman of Council, your roles, as well as the rules that guide your operations, are as stated in the extant rules of the University,” he stated.
The RCCG General Overseer congratulated the former LASU Vice-Chancellor, wished her a successful tenure and assured her of his continued prayers.
He also disclosed that the names and contact details of other members of the newly constituted Governing Council had been attached to the appointment letter.
Olatunji-Bello, Professor of Physiology, has had an extensive academic and administrative career spanning more than three decades.
She began her academic career at the University of Lagos in 1988 and rose through the ranks before becoming the first Professor of Physiology at the Lagos State University College of Medicine in October 2007.
Before her appointment as LASU Vice-Chancellor in 2021, she had served in several administrative capacities, including Head of the Department of Physiology, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Acting Vice-Chancellor and pioneer Director of the university’s Directorate of Advancement.
She was appointed LASU’s ninth substantive Vice-Chancellor by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in September 2021 and completed her five-year tenure in September 2026.
She was succeeded by Professor Ayodeji Olawunmi Badejo, who became the university’s tenth substantive Vice-Chancellor and third woman to occupy the position.
Badejo has congratulated her predecessor on the new appointment, expressing confidence that her experience in academic leadership, university administration and institutional governance would contribute to the continued development of Redeemer’s University.
In her congratulatory message on behalf of the management, staff, students and the entire LASU community, Badejo described the appointment as well-deserved and wished Olatunji-Bello a successful tenure.
The new Pro-Chancellor, who is also a pastor in the RCCG, holds a postgraduate diploma in Theology from the Redeemed Christian Bible College.
Her husband, Tunji Bello, journalist and lawyer, previously served as Secretary to the Lagos State Government and Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources before assuming office as chief executive of the FCCPC in July 2024.
