The rise and rise of Peter Olamakinde Olapegba, by Idowu Olayinka

At 3:07 p. m. on Wednesday, July 22,  2026,  I received a WhatsApp message from the Registrar of the University of Ibadan.

 It was a Press Release endorsed by the Chairman of the Council and erstwhile Governor of Osun State and founding Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Adebisi Akande, CFR, announcing the appointment of Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba as the 14th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.

 I quickly forwarded the Breaking News on a number of platforms. I congratulate our in-coming boss for the success of his application. There were eight candidates in the very keen contest in comparison with 17 who competed for the same position in 2021.

Olapegba is 56 years old. Although a mere coincidence it is worthy of mention the fact that all the Vice-Chancellors of the University of Ibadan who served from 1996 to 2026 marked their 60th birthday while in the saddle as Vice-Chancellor of Nigeria’s premier University. I talk of Professors Omoniyi Adewoye (born 1939), Ayodele Falase (born 1944), Olufemi Adebisi Bamiro (born 1947), Isaac Folorunsho Adewole (born 1954), Abel Idowu Olayinka (born 1958), Kayode Oyebode Adebowale (born 1962). Earlier Vice-Chancellors at Ibadan served at younger ages.

Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba is a distinguished academic and researcher specialising in Applied Social Psychology.  He currently serves as the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, a position he has held since November 8, 2023.  Before then,  he served as Dean of the Faculty of the Social Sciences, and the Pioneer Director Office of Alumni Relations and he was elected as a Representative of the University Senate on the Governing Council. He was Sub-Dean Postgraduate (Faculty of the Social Sciences). With a career spanning over two-and-a-half decades, the last 12 years as a full Professor, he has made significant contributions to the fields of social, health, and environmental psychology, focusing on the health-behaviour interface, family and marital violence, sexual harassment, victimization, and perceived quality of life.

Professor Olapegba holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Psychology (1997), a Master of Science in Social/Personality Psychology (1999), and a Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology (2008), all from the prestigious University of Ibadan.  He has also earned professional qualifications, including an Academic Diploma in International Boundary & Borderlands Studies, Chartered Psychologist status and certifications in Mediation and Conciliation.

His research has led to the development of culturally relevant and globally accepted scales to measure constructs in social psychology, contributing to both theoretical foundations and practical applications.  He has published extensively, with over 130 scholarly works, including books, chapters in books, monographs, journal articles, and creative pieces. His work has addressed critical issues such as HIV/AIDS, sexual behavior, domestic violence, and quality of life, providing models for behavioral change and attitudinal improvement.

Professor Olapegba is an astute administrator who has held numerous leadership roles with sterling performances in all. These include but not limited to Undergraduate Coordinator, Postgraduate Coordinator, Examination Officer, Deputy Postgraduate Coordinator (CEPACS), Postgraduate Coordinator (CEPACS), Chairman of UI@75 Anniversary Committee, Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration member of the Governing Board of Pan African University Institute of  Life and Earth Sciences including Health Agriculture, and member of various committees and sub-committees of Governing Councils.  He has supervised several Ph.D. Theses, MPhil dissertations, Master and Bachelors projects furthering the development of psychology and social science principles and practice in Nigeria and beyond. Professor Olapegba is an external examiner, professorial cadre assessor, expert consultant on panels for professorial promotions, to several universities within and outside Nigeria.

Outside the University of Ibadan, he served as a Member of Governing Council of Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa. He is currently a member of the Governing Council of Precious Cornerstone University, Ibadan.

He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the North West University (Mafikeng Campus), South Africa and as a researcher, he has demonstrated capacity in grantsmanship and fund generation with his winning of the International Congress of Psychology Change Fellowship Research Grant, UI Senate Research Grant, Moment of Change Research Grant, TETFund Institutional Based Research Grants, and a number of conference travel grants.

As Chairman of the UI @75 Anniversary Committee he has helped in attracting a number of benefactions to the university a 200 million-naira scholarship endowment from the RAMS Charity Foundation; an office complex benefaction for the Faculty of the Social Sciences at a cost of 300 million naira; 20-million-naira scholarship endowment from International Energy Services Limited; a 30-million-naira scholarship fund from Providus Bank; Facilitation of Fifty Thousand US Dollars ($50, 000) scholarship benefaction from Zhou Yutong, Berkshire, United Kingdom; Facilitation of benefaction for the painting of Kuti Hall by an alumnus at the cost of N23, 000, 000). More recently, he assisted in the facilitation of a multi-million-naira research facility from International Energy Services Limited/Dr. Diran Fawibe, framing it as a model town-gown partnership.

He has received significant accolades in his professional career including multiple fellowships of many prestigious learned organizations, including the Social Science Academy of Nigeria,  Nigerian Psychological Association, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies and Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP).

From Sub–Dean (Postgraduate), Faculty of the Social Sciences (2014 – 2016); Dean, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Ibadan, 2018 – 2020; Chairman, UI@75 Anniversary Committee; Director, Office of Alumni Relations, University of Ibadan, 2022 – 2024; and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), University of Ibadan, 2023 till date, and now the 14th Vice-Chancellor Designate, it is fair to talk of the rise and rise of Olapegba. I offer you hearty congratulations and wish you a successful tenure, Mankind.