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Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole is the Secretary-General of the Association of African Universities (AAU), headquartered in Accra, Ghana, where he leads a continental vision for advancing higher education, research, and innovation across Africa. A distinguished Professor of Food Science and Technology, his career spans over three decades of academic excellence, institutional leadership, and high-level policy engagement in African and global higher education systems.
Born in Kaduna, Nigeria, Professor Oyewole obtained a BSc in Microbiology from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1981, followed by an MSc (1984) and a PhD (1990) in Food Microbiology from the University of Ibadan. He attained full professorship in Food Science and Technology in 2001 at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Nigeria, where he also served as Vice-Chancellor from 2012 to 2017. His leadership at FUNAAB included roles as Chair of Senate, Director of the Grants Management Directorate, Director of the Research and Development Centre (RESDEC), and Head of the Department of Food Science and Technology.
Professor Oyewole has extensive experience in continental and international higher education systems. He served as a Senior Expert (Quality Assurance, Mobility, and Scholarships) at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa (2009–2010), where he coordinated flagship continental initiatives including the Mwalimu Nyerere Scholarship Scheme, the African Quality Rating Mechanism (AQRM), and the Africa–EU–ACP Mobility Programme. Prior to this, he managed key projects at the AAU, including the World Bank-supported “Quality Assurance for African Higher Education Systems” (2006–2009) and the British Government-funded initiative on the “Mobilization of Regional Initiatives for the Revitalization of Higher Education in Africa” (2007–2009).
His expertise spans international and intergovernmental relations, research systems development, quality assurance, and higher education governance. He has played a pivotal role in coordinating multinational research and development programmes, as well as advancing advocacy and resource mobilization for African higher education. He currently contributes to several global and continental platforms, including advisory and governance roles with the Pan African University, the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) in Nairobi, Nile University in Cairo, and the OECD Programme on Innovation, Higher Education and Research for Development. He also serves as Sub-Cluster Coordinator for Research and Graduate Studies under the African Union’s Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA).
A respected scholar, Professor Oyewole’s research focuses on food microbiology, fermentation technology, food safety, cassava processing, and African traditional food systems. He has authored over 100 publications in international scientific journals and supervised more than 200 undergraduate and numerous postgraduate theses, bridging scientific research with practical societal impact.
His contributions have been widely recognized through prestigious awards, including the IFS/King Baudouin Award (1992), the IFS/DANIDA Award (1999), and the Outstanding International Ambassador Award from FUNAAB (2012). He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (FNIFST) and a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (FIAFoST).
Renowned for his visionary leadership, integrity, and commitment to mentorship, Professor Oyewole continues to champion transformative initiatives that strengthen higher education systems, enhance research capacity, and expand opportunities for institutions and students across Africa.