A distinguished economist, Oluyele Akinkugbe, has been named the new President and Vice-Chancellor of James Hope University, with effect from February 16.
Report stated it that the appointment received the approval of the university’s Board of Trustees. It characterised the development as a homecoming, noting that Akinkugbe previously served as a founding Dean of the institution.
“This appointment marks a historic homecoming for the renowned economist and academic leader, who returns to lead the institution he helped build from the ground up as its Founding Dean,” the statement said.
The board said Akinkugbe’s leadership approach has remained “centred on sustainable governance, financial resilience, faculty development, and deep community engagement,” adding that his return comes at a time when the university is “poised to expand its influence, attract world-class talent, and deliver education that is globally competitive yet deeply rooted in the Nigerian and African context.”
Prior to this appointment, he was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Kigali, where he was credited with driving strategic expansion and enhancing the institution’s global outlook.
An applied econometrician with more than 40 years of experience spanning teaching, research, policy advisory, and university administration across Africa, Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia, Akinkugbe is expected to guide the Lagos-based business school into what the board described as “its next chapter of growth and distinction.”
The statement added that his academic grounding is built on strong quantitative analysis and real-world policy application. He earned a doctorate in Applied Econometrics from the University of Ibadan, where his doctoral research produced a 197-equation macroeconomic model of the Nigerian economy under the Ford Foundation-sponsored LINK Project.
Over the years, he has occupied senior academic and leadership roles, including serving as Dean of the largest faculty at the University of Namibia and Head of Economics at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Outside academia, Akinkugbe has worked as a consultant and adviser to multilateral bodies such as the World Trade Organisation, United Nations Development Programme, African Development Bank, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, among others.
Reacting to his appointment, the new vice-chancellor said his administration will prioritise four key areas: advancing academic excellence and innovation, growing global partnerships, reinforcing institutional sustainability, and widening access to keep the university “a catalyst for Nigeria’s socio-economic transformation.”
Founded by Jim Ovia, Chairman of Zenith Bank, James Hope University offers postgraduate programmes such as the Executive MBA, MBA, and specialised MSc degrees in Finance, Fintech & Analytics, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development & Policy Analysis.
