University of Kigali Appoints Nigerian as Deputy Vice Chancellor

The Governing Body of the University of Kigali, Rwanda, has appointed Ogechi Adeola, a Professor of Marketing, as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

The announcement was made in a statement issued by the institution’s management on its official website on Thursday.

Before she was appointed DVC, Adeola was the immediate past Head of the Department of Operations, Marketing, and Information Systems at the Lagos Business School (LBS), Pan-Atlantic University, Nigeria, and the Academic Director of LBS Sales Academy.

The statement reads in part, “The Governing Body of the University of Kigali (UoK) has appointed Professor Ogechi Adeola, a Professor of Marketing, as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor—Academic (DVCA), effective January 11, 2024.

“Professor Ogechi Adeola holds a Doctorate in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from Alliance Manchester Business School, United Kingdom. She earned a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Nigeria and obtained a Barrister at Law certificate from the Nigerian Law School, after which she was called to the Nigerian bar.

“Professor Adeola is the immediate past Head of the Department of Operations, Marketing, and Information Systems at the Lagos Business School (LBS), Pan-Atlantic University, Nigeria, and the Academic Director of LBS Sales Academy.

“She previously held the position of Associate Dean of Business Administration at the University of the People, California, USA, where she currently serves as a Business Administration Advisory Board member.

“She is an Independent Non-Executive Director at Cornerstone Insurance Plc, Nigeria, and she served as a member of the Board of Directors at the University of Kigali until her appointment as Deputy Vice Chancellor-Academic. She possesses over 28 years of relevant work experience in industry and academia. Before transitioning to academia, she had spent over a decade in various roles within Nigeria’s financial sector, starting her career at Citibank Nigeria.

“Professor Adeola’s pursuit of professional excellence is evident in her completion of executive education programmes at globally renowned institutions, including Harvard Business School, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, London Business School, and Cranfield School of Management.”

According to the statement, in 2022, Adeola served as the National Consultant for an International Labour Organisation project promoting women’s economic empowerment in Nigeria.

Additionally, she is the founder of the Digital Business Tutelage for Women Empowerment in Africa Initiative (DBTWEAi), a non-profit platform designed to enable young African women to unlock their potential.

“Her contributions to women’s empowerment were recognised with the prestigious Female Achievers Recognition Award in March 2022, co-hosted by American Corner in Lagos, and in June 2023, she was honored with the Peak Performing Woman of the Year 2023 Award in the Super Achievers category for Executive Education by The Peak Performer.

“Professor Adeola is a Fellow of both the Institute of Strategic Management, Nigeria, and the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria,” the statement added.

Reacting to the news, Labour Party Presidential Candidate Peter Obi said her appointment is a reminder that Nigeria has an abundance of talent.