Thomas Adewumi Varsity VC Reveals Vision of Transforming Rural Education, Empowering Students

Funmi Ogundare

The Vice-Chancellor of Thomas Adewumi University (TAU), Oko, Prof. Francisca Oladipo, has redefined what it means to lead a rural institution into national prominence. Sharing her journey with journalists virtually, recently, Oladipo detailed how the university transformed challenges into opportunities, leveraging local resources, innovation, and a commitment to excellence.
On assumption of duty, she explained that the university faced significant financial challenges, with only 66 students and no external funding.
“I was headhunted for this position, and I saw the sincerity of the founder’s vision to provide employment opportunities and quality training,” she said.
To minimize costs, TAU maximised its 300 hectares of land, integrating farming and local production into its operations.
“We empowered our works departments; engineering, furniture, and construction—to produce everything locally. We make our own hostel lockers, beds, bricks, and even grow all the food we eat,” she explained.
TAU’s self-reliance extends to road mapping and asphalting, with students and staff actively involved. “Every time we cut a tree for construction, we replant it,” she added, emphasising sustainability.
Under Oladipo’s leadership, she noted that the institution has grown from 13 to 27 academic programs, with a focus on signature disciplines like Medicine and Law, adding, “by 2025, the university plans to admit its first medical students. TAU is one of only three universities in Nigeria offering a Doctorate in Physiotherapy and boasts a fully operational faculty of Nursing Science. The university’s physiotherapy clinic is the second largest in Kwara State.
“We offer globally competitive programs, including partnerships with MIT OpenCourseWare, where our students compete with peers worldwide. This year, we also secured licenses to host French and Arabic programs,” she stated.
TAU has seen a meteoric rise in rankings, moving from 252nd in Nigeria to 39th overall and 11th among private universities. In Kwara State, it ranks fourth, surpassing Al-Hikmah University and challenging Kwara State University (KWASU).
“We have admitted close to 700 students this session, and the numbers are still growing. Our goal is to become the leading private university in Nigeria within five years,” Oladipo stated .