The outgoing Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Abayomi Fasina, has been commended for his stewardship and for documenting his five-year tenure in a book.

The commendation was given by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Mr. Olusegun Alebiosu; the Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of the Governing Council of the university, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN); and other dignitaries and stakeholders during the public presentation of Professor Fasina’s book, titled Holding the Rudder: My Years Steering FUOYE.

The book chronicles Fasina’s tenure as the fourth substantive Vice-Chancellor of the university between 2021 and 2026.

Alebiosu, the Chief Launcher, described the university’s infrastructure expansion, enrolment growth, and programme development as indicators of institutional progress. He noted that the scale of change witnessed at the institution surpassed what he had observed during an earlier visit years ago. He also recommended the book as a reference material on leadership and institutional management.

Meanwhile, Senator Ndoma-Egba congratulated Prof. Fasina and lauded him for finding time to write such a book, which he described as “a practical guide for current and aspiring university leaders.” He noted that the incoming Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, would benefit tremendously from the book.

The Pro-Chancellor said: “FUOYE is a university, but in many ways, a school of its own because what you learn in Oye-Ekiti, especially in management, you will not learn elsewhere. I believe the peculiar experience he has had informed his writing of this book. I have not been here for so long, but I am already writing a book. So, how much more of a man who has been here longer and steered the wheel of the university in the last five years.”

Also, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, who was represented at the public presentation of the book by Prof. Abdul-Hameed Sulaimon, described Prof. Fasina as a longstanding friend of UNILAG and congratulated him for documenting his leadership experience for future university administrators and posterity.

The President of the FUOYE Alumni Association, Mr. Taye Ojo, speaking on behalf of the association, described the author as “the architect of new FUOYE,” citing the scale of institutional transformation recorded during his tenure.

Subsequently, in a goodwill message delivered on behalf of the FUOYE community, Prof. Mojisola Oyarekua described the outgoing VC as “a supersonic Vice-Chancellor,” noting that his administration had made significant progress in the development of the university over the past five years.

The book reviewer, a Professor of English Language at Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Yisa Yusuf, while highlighting the pressures of leadership, said the over-300-page book is an account of how the outgoing Vice-Chancellor navigated the treacherous waters of university administration from 2021 to 2026.

Quoting from the book, he recalled the author’s reflection: “When I assumed duty as the fourth substantive Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), I did not walk into a position; I walked into a storm.”

According to Yusuf, the metaphor effectively captured the complexity of university leadership, encompassing challenges such as student agitation, staff relations, union engagement, host community expectations, governing council dynamics, and chronic funding constraints.

He noted that beyond personal reflection, the book contributes to Nigeria’s limited tradition of institutional documentation, offering a resource for university administrators, policymakers, and scholars involved in higher education planning.

He said: “One of the challenges we have as a society is the inadequate documentation of our history. In writing this book on running FUOYE as the fourth Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Fasina has made available to posterity a wealth of institutional memory, a remarkable landmark and an invaluable roadmap. Indeed, the book is an invaluable resource for those aspiring to be Vice-Chancellors or for those already holding the position but wishing to renew their insights for better service delivery. It would also be of immense value for drawing university strategic plans, especially for new or young universities.”

Responding, Prof. Fasina said the book was not written as a defence of office but as a reflection on leadership under pressure. He further acknowledged what he described as “spiritual destiny helpers and destiny helpers” who supported him in prayers and counsel throughout his tenure.

He specifically appreciated his wife, Dr. Bosede Fasina, an Associate Professor at Ekiti State University (EKSU), describing her quiet strength, steadfast faith, and support as central to both his leadership journey and the writing of the book.

Fasina also thanked the Pro-Chancellor “for upholding due process, for the high level of wisdom he poured into governance, for allowing the Vice-Chancellor to be heard before judgment, and for defending process over pressure, truth over noise, and institutional memory over manufactured narrative.”