The University of Benin has appointed Ms Bimpe Omoyiwola as its 10th substantive Registrar, effective April 1, an appointment that marks a significant milestone for one of Nigeria’s foremost first-generation universities.
The institution announced the appointment in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Dr Benedicta Ehanire, on Wednesday in Benin. Omoyiwola will succeed Ademola Bobola, whose five-year tenure ends on March 31, and is expected to assume office on April 1.
Omoyiwola hails from Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State and holds a Master’s degree in International History and Diplomacy from the University of Benin, alongside other postgraduate diplomas. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Management of Nigeria and is expected to bring her administrative experience to bear in the management of the university’s registry. Until her appointment, she served as Director (Registry) at the College of Postgraduate Studies of the university.
The appointment is particularly significant as it makes Omoyiwola the first woman to occupy the registrar’s office in the university’s 55-year history. The University of Benin was established on November 23, 1970, first as the Midwest Institute of Technology before being renamed. It is now one of the most sought-after tertiary institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, comprising two colleges, seventeen faculties and schools, seven centres of excellence, and four institutes.
Her predecessor, Ademola Bobola, assumed duty as substantive Registrar on April 1, 2021, completing a five-year tenure that took him through a period of significant institutional development at the university.
Dr Ehanire expressed confidence that the new registrar would deliver on the responsibilities of the office. The university said Omoyiwola’s wealth of administrative experience, built over a career spanning multiple departments and postgraduate management roles within UNIBEN, made her the ideal candidate to steer the registry through the next phase of the institution’s growth.