The Federal University, Lokoja, has appointed Professor Gbenga Ibileye as its fourth substantive Vice-Chancellor.
Pro-Chancellor and Governing Council Chairman, Professor Zubairu Abdullahi, announced the appointment on Tuesday, noting that Professor Ibileye “emerged tops, first out of the best three candidates.”
He will take over from Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, whose five-year single term ends in February 2026.
Born on June 7, 1966, in Kogi State, Professor Ibileye is a seasoned academic and experienced university administrator. He earned a PhD in English Language from Ahmadu Bello University in 2002 and has been Professor and Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies at the university since 2012.
Throughout his career, he has held several key leadership roles, including Acting Vice-Chancellor, Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee, and Pioneer Director of General Studies.
Professor Ibileye’s research spans Discourse Analysis, Pragmatics, Legal and Forensic Linguistics, and Applied Linguistics, with special focus on Political Discourse, Media Analysis, Constitutional Language, and Communication in Leadership. He has authored numerous books and articles, including Current Trends in Discourse Analysis and the English Teacher’s Guide Series 1–6.
His contributions to education and scholarship have earned him multiple awards, including the Distinguished Pragmatician Award (2025), Noble Prize for Education (2024), and induction into the Hall of Fame (2023).
